Brother, Hear Me Cry
by reminiscent-afterthought
Summary: AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...
1. Prologue

**Author's Note**

Hello again everyone. The idea for this story came from reading the first chapter of Night Howl by Andrew Neiderman. This is not a crossover fic though, the novel was basically just a source of inspiration for me (though the timing was kinda bad). Anyway, prologue is kinda short, but with good reason, and I can pretty safely guarantee that the first chapter will be way longer.

So read, enjoy and tell me what you think.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Digimon or Nighthowl. You all know what I do own by now.

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Prologue**

He watched them, from the shadows. Watched them carry on with their daily lives, unrestrained by any earthly chains as he, carrying on with trivial matters. From that distance, the people seemed so small and insignificant, the worthless activities they occupied themselves with even more so. And yet he envied them. Envied them for their freedom, to go and do what they pleased.

But not for too much longer. Soon, they would be the ones restrained, straining and clawing in their attempts to be free, while he walked past them, head held high and eyes gleaming...ignoring their pleas. They would learn soon enough how it felt to be denied freedom, to long for a release from their dark prison.

Soon, so soon...

His confidence had grown of late; mere weeks ago he would have stopped at his lust, his hunger for freedom...and revenge. But freedom was the first step. Revenge would later come. But now, the walls of his prison were weakening; the resistance of his host was crumbling. And he knew why.

He could sense these things; sense their darkest fears. They feared the darkness he cherished; the hate, the anger, the sadness they kept inside. They fuelled him, made him strong, and his host in particular was full of it. That darkness would soon free him.

Soon...


	2. Perpetual Darkness that Clouds his Soul

**Author's Notes**

Hi again everyone. Nothing much to say here. Just thought I'd ask one thing though. I originally intended to rate this fic M, but before I posted it, I changed it to T, because I'm not really sure where to draw the line between T and M. Can anyone help me out with that? 'cause this chapter's pretty light compared to what's coming.

Anyway, please read and review. And happy easter everyone.

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote: "**I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have – life itself." – Walter Anderson

* * *

**Chapter 1 – The Perpetual Darkness that Clouds his Soul**

The room was far darker than usual. That was, in itself, an oddity. It was one in the afternoon; outside, the sun was shining down on the four teenagers lounging on the grassy lawn. The sunlight however, was prevented from entering the room with thick black-out curtains that hung closed, completely covering the only window in the room, the one that ran along the back wall.

The door was closed as well, only minute particles of light passing through the outline of the door frame. The room itself was almost entirely concealed in darkness; the faint outline of twin beds could be just made out, the light seeping in from under the doorframe illuminating the bed sheets trailing slightly on the floor. Faint rectangular outlines could also be seen: a desk, twin drawers beside the bed, bookshelves overhead, and a closet on the wall beside the door, all barely recognisable due to the lack of a source of light.

A faint outline of...something could be seen on one of the two beds, covered with a blanket. In the darkness, it was not distinguishable with any inanimate object by the use of sight, however sound conveyed that the figure was human. A young teenager, similar age as those who lay outside nestled comfortably in the autumn grass, curled on the bed, crying softly, so softly, that only the complete silence of the room made the sobs audible to human ears.

Or rather, to one particular human's ears; the ones belonging to a fourteen year old standing behind the closed door, one hand on the brass handle, preparing to enter. Blue eyes were trained on the door almost worriedly, one hand twirling a long lock of black hair. The rest was tied back with a hair tie, and held out of his face with a navy blue and yellow striped bandana.

He was dressed in a yellow t-shirt and grey pants, a navy blue jacket thrown over the outfit to protect him from the late Autumn chill, two single yellow stripes running down each arm. His pant legs hung at three-quarter length, exposing the white ankle length socks he wore underneath, his feet currently slipped into a pair of light green home slippers.

He made to open the door, but hesitated. It had been mere hours since he had last stepped into that room, only minutes later stepping out. But what had happened in that time...he shook his head jerkily, ridding himself of the unwelcoming thoughts, before yanking the door open, slightly harder than was necessary, causing the wooden frame to crash into the closet that prevented it from fully opening, before rebounding and almost slamming the boy in the face as he entered the room, the darkness already receding with the additional source of light from the corridor outside and the stairs beyond it.

The figure on the bed shifted, away from the newfound source of light, bringing both knees up to his chest and drawing the covers over his head. The other sighed, before reaching out and gently tugging the white sheets down slightly, revealing black hair identical to his own, only shorter in length, framing a near identical face and hiding his eyes.

'Come on Nii-san,' the longer haired boy murmured quietly, brushing the other's bangs out of his eyes with one hand, keeping a comforting yet somewhat restraining grip on a covered shoulder with the other. The boy on the bed stiffened slightly at his touch, but if the other noticed, he chose to simply ignore it. 'Takuya-kun and the others are over. You want to join us?'

No reply.

A sigh. 'Kouichi...please, at least do something that doesn't involve sitting here in the dark and hurting yourself.'

Still no reply. There rarely was. His eyes trailed to the edge of the bed sheets, wincing in a mix of horror and relief upon seeing the brownish-red stains that littered a section of it. A section which was bundled up as though covering something, although he was quite sure there was nothing there. Only hours ago, he had removed the object that had previously hidden there from the room, along with anything else that could have been used as a substitute.

'Kou-'

'Leave me alone Kouji,' Kouichi snapped, voice hoarse, not even lifting his head to look at the other.

The other, Kouji, reached out with his free hand, enveloping the other in an embrace. Or rather attempting to; it was proving to be quite difficult, as almost immediately, the other had begin trashing and squirming in his grip, gasping for breath as though his airway had been restricted, straining and clawing in his attempts to be free.

Pain flashing on his face at his brother's resistance, the younger released his grip on his elder brother, watching him retreat even further into his cocoon, if it were even possible.

'Just go away,' the other choked out, his throat racked with sobs which had slightly increased in their intensity. 'Go away.'

Eyeing the other sadly with his blue eyes, Kouji compiled, and out of respect for his brother's preference and privacy, closed the door behind him. One hand fingering the railing, he walked slowly down the stairs, before turning left at the bottom and walking through the dining area and kitchen and to the back door; empty, as both his father and stepmother were at work.

He stepped out and onto the back lawn, where the four lounged. Two were a similar age to him, a girl and a boy. The girl had long, blonde hair, loose strands floating in the gentle Autumn breeze, the rest spread in the grass and fall leaves as she lay. Her eyes were closed, but she opened them as the sound of Kouji's faint footsteps reached her ears, revealing emerald orbs. She was dressed in a blue and white spaghetti top and a lavender skirt falling to a length just above her knees, a hooded jacket and pair of sneakers of the same colour completing the outfit.

The other, the boy, had wild brown hair, leaves and debris already caught in it, and eyes of the same colour, his hat and goggles lying on the grass beside him. He was dressed in a yellow t-shirt, a symbol on the front half hidden by the red jacket he wore over it. He also wore brown khaki pants, going in length to just past his knees, the attire finished with brown sneakers.

Another boy, one a few years younger than the four already introduced, lay between them, his large orange hat firmly on his head. What could be seen of his hair was a brown a shade lighter than that of the other boy's, and his eyes were green, although a shade darker than the girl's. He was dressed in a white t-shirt outlined in green, slightly stained by the green grass he lay on, and yellow shorts that fell to his knees, with matching sneakers.

The last boy, the eldest of the group, sat up as Kouji approached. His hair was also brown, same shade as the youngest, and his eyes were brown as well. He was in light blue overalls decorated with yellow pockets and a yellow underlining, with navy blue sneakers on his feet.

'Didn't go too good, huh?' he observed, as the black haired boy flopped down on the grass beside him, the other three moving to sit up as well.

'No,' responded quietly. 'It didn't.'

There was silence for awhile, no-one really knowing what to say, the five of them looking out to a specific window on the second story of the large Minomoto house. The one with the curtains drawn.

'It never used to be this way,' he continued. 'Before, we used to be so close. We'd do almost everything together, even when we lived apart. But now...he barely comes out of our room, and every time I try to get him to do something other than just mope around, it either ends in tears or anger. I just don't know what to do anymore.'

'Just give him time.' The blonde girl, Orimoto Izumi smiled sympathetically at him. 'Remember, it is not as hard on you as it is on him. You barely knew her after all, growing up with your father and stepmother. But he spent almost his entire life living alone with her. You can't blame him for being sad.'

'But he blames himself,' Kouji muttered. 'He's _hurting_ himself.'

'Survivor's guilt,' the eldest brunette, Shibiyama Junpei explained. 'If you were in his position, you'd probably feel the same way.' _His mother did die right in front of him,_ he thought after, but he didn't say it aloud; that would have been quite tactless. After all, Kimura Tomoko was Kouji's mother as well, despite the fact that encounters had been scarce for the past twelve years since the divorce.

'I guess.' The doubt in his voice was however, plain as day.

'Come on buddy.' The brunette in the red jacket, Kanbara Takuya, gave the young Minomoto a friendly pat on the back. 'Cheer up. You're not helping anyone by looking so depressed. So smile,' he all but commanded.

Kouji felt his lips tweaking slightly at his friend's optimism, at all of them really. His heart felt considerably lighter, as though they were all sharing his load. He was so lucky to have friends like them...and so was his brother.

Now, if only they could get him out of the cocoon he had encased himself in.

The younger twin looked up at the window of the room he and his brother shared, and which his brother currently occupied. Even from the distance between them, both in terms of geographical space and emotional remoteness, he could feel his brother's pain.

After all, despite the fact they grew up separately, they were twins. Opposites, yet perfectly compatible. Some even went so far as to call them Yang and Yin.

They were inseparable.

Well...at least for now they were.

* * *

The boy on the bed lifted his head slightly once his brother left, closing the door behind him. His eyes, like the other, were blue, but while Kouji's were bright and full of life, underlined by sadness and grief and concern but overridden by the gift of life itself, Kouichi's were dull with despondency; clouded with the pain of grief and guilt and radiating darkness and despair. The blue irises appeared almost black with the darkness swirling behind his eyes; so empty and hollow it was inhumane.

And perhaps it was. That would after all explain the smoldering presence he could sense in the back of his mind. The nagging, suffocating feeling that plagued him every time someone entered the same vicinity as him, and only intensified with physical contact. That thirst for freedom from the cage he was now trapped in.

Or perhaps he was just losing his mind. In fact, that was the more probable possibility.

No-one else knew. No-one else understood. And he couldn't tell them. He couldn't say what really happened. How could he, when he didn't know himself?

But he knew it was his fault it all happened. And now he was shackled because of it. Or in any case, more so then he was before.

He shifted slightly, pushing himself away from the wall, the bed sheets he had entangled himself in falling around him as he loosened his vice-like hold on them. They fell onto the bed to reveal a boy who bore structural similarities to Kouji, but with noticeable differences. Apart from the tear tracks running down his face and the hollowness of his eyes, his skin was a sickly shade of pale in the lack of light. His hair, unruly and unkempt, was short, far shorter than his brother's ponytail, and parts clung to his face in clumps, weighed down by the moisture and humidity produced by his previous confinements.

His shirt was crumpled from wear, its colour indistinguishable in the darkness. The ends hovered just above his wrists, high enough to reveal the white (the only colour distinguishable in the room) bandages wrapped around them, stained slightly like the bunched up blankets. He fingered the wrappings delicately; his brother's handiwork. The dark, suffocating feeling suddenly overcame him, and he clawed desperately at the bandages, a tinge of red appearing in his eyes. The clips that fastened them in place clattered to the floor as the frantic fingers dislodged their hold on the wrappings, the white bandages falling away.

His breath quickened as he looked around the room. Shadows loomed on the walls, making it seem as though they were caving in, trapping him, suffocating him...

He stood quickly, ignoring the nausea that suddenly overtook him, stumbling in his haste, and snapped the light switch. The lamp flickered once, before shining harshly in the darkness, the light forcing the darkness recede.

He lurched away from the lamp, collapsing back onto his bed, turning slightly and burying his head into the sheets stained by dried blood and tears in an attempt to shield his eyes from the harsh glare. His hands reached up and latched onto the covers in a vice-like grip, blackened blood trickling from his wrists and further staining the already stained sheets. The older blood had mostly clotted around the zigzagged cuts that scarred the pale skin, the scabs reducing the otherwise possibly detrimental blood loss to a small trickle that brought on another wave of nausea at most.

He didn't understand. The presence had died down once again, leaving the boy empty and hollow. For a split moment, he had wanted blood, wanted freedom.

But as he watched the small trickle of blood run down his hand, he knew that it would only trap him further.

And he found, with some inner sense of triumph, that he really didn't care.

After all, no-one else could get hurt, if the source of the pain was caught in his own webbings.

...right?

But, he still didn't understand. Although, he wasn't wholly sure he wanted the answers.

So he remained as he was, the everlasting darkness clouding his soul, as the lamp on the bedside table flickered, and then went out.


	3. Stained by the Colour Red

**Author's Notes**

Hello again everyone. Holidays are finishing tomorrow, so updates will once again be slower. And thank you to **Kaito Lune** and **Starfire** for reviewing and answering my question. I'll be keeping this fic. as T rated for now then, and at the moment, any violence is...well, not exactly in 'black and white' as of yet. As the story progresses, more information will come into light, and more description and action.

By the way, anything in italics is what is going on in Kouichi's mind.

**Disclaimer:** I can't own what I don't. It's as simple as that.

Anyway, enjoy (or don't, it's all up to you now).

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote: **"Red is one of the strongest colours, it's blood, it has a power with the eye." – Keith Haring

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Stained by the Colour Red**

_Her pain was so noticeably obvious. The way her shoulders hunched, the thin, almost transparent lines that marked her beautiful face, the paleness of her skin, the dullness of her eyes..._

_'Okaa-san?' His voice sounded so weak, so hesitant. 'Are you okay?'_

_She smiled, attempting to ease his pain but unable to hide her own. 'I'm fine,' she replied. But she was not. He knew that, and so did she._

_And he hated being unable to do anything to help._

_He was lucky, he had his brother and his friends to lean on when things got tough. She had no-one; his father wouldn't help her, he no longer had any obligation to her. He of course was a different matter. After all, divorce or not, he was still his son._

_That didn't help his mother though. Both her physical and mental status were on the verge of collapse, breaking down further with each passing day. It was hard for her to support her elder son, with living expenses rising above what her job could pay, despite the menial labour and extra hours she was forced to work for, despite her deteriorating health. Kouichi helped in any way he could, but between the part time jobs he had been able to juggle between school and his mother's own, they were barely meeting need's end, and were unable to afford the additional medical care._

_And all that, knowing that she was only getting half of the equation, barely able to see her other son, the one under her ex-husband's care._

_It put a strain on her mind as well, the extra hours, the wilted fruit she received in return...she had been strong enough to survive and nurture her child for this long, but her kind-heartedness in the end proved to be far stronger beyond any shadow of doubt, and while it would not be considered damaging in the eyes of anyone else, it proved in the end detrimental to her own health._

_She barely smiled any more. Not a true smile in any case. Any time she smiled, it was simply a wasted attempt to sooth her son's nerves and quell his increasing worry. After all, he was all she had left._

_But in the end, it didn't help. In fact, all it did was make it worse._

_There was no peace, no freedom...only captivity in the chains wrought from the constant turmoil and the daily processes of life._

_And it was suffocating him._

He whimpered slightly, burying his face into the damp and stained sheets, hands clutching his hair desperately in a futile attempt to block out the onslaught of memories. But to no avail.

He could still see it all; remember it all in astounding clarity. And try as he might to simply forget them, the images flashed vividly through his mind.

_It was strange. The feeling was so foreign to him; the darkness was calling to him. But at the same time, it was irresistible. Even though it didn't feel wholly right, he had no power to turn away from it. It was a part of him, unknown to him, but a part of him nonetheless._

_He was lost in a daze, nothing but darkness surrounding, that strange power flowing through his veins, coursing through his body, easily redirected by will to an outside will. Not his will though, he no longer possessed the freedom of such conscious thought._

_It was comforting though, yet ironic. That he would find his greatest freedom in the confinement of his own will..._

For a mere moment in any case. Even now, he had no idea as to how, why or even where that strange feeling had overcome him. But he could see the consequences. Even if no-one else believed him. Even if he didn't know himself what had happened, he knew one thing; he was the one responsible for it.

_He held his mother's corpse tightly, unwilling to let go. She looked so peaceful in death, the worn lines of age and stress had faded away, leaving her face as youthful as it should have been had fate not dealt her the life she had lead, and had now perhaps prematurely snatched back into his grip. The black hair, akin to his own, framed her angelic face, and her blue eyes were peacefully closed. In fact, she looked as though she was merely asleep, but he could not delude himself to such fantasies. The absolute stillness of her chest and the lack of rhythm from her heart were indicative of this._

_He didn't know how long he has sat there, clutching his mother like a life-line, before by some coincidence, a neighbour had walked through the open door and seen the situation._

Things had gone too fast for him after that. He had only been half aware, the other half of him was still drowning in the pits of the cage he had made for himself, or perhaps it had always been there. He had been shipped to his father, after all, he was still his son, but he was lost, so lost, only lucid for short periods before falling under the repetitive cycle of darkness and blood once more.

His sheets were stained with red. He could see the blood covering the white, lifting his head slightly from the bunched up bed sheets. The globe had burnt out, but there was enough light in the room for him to see the crimson stains. Perhaps it was due to his gradually increasing photosensitivity, or perhaps he had spent so long in this darkened room that his eyes had fully adjusted to the conditions he had all but forced upon them.

He felt empty, hurt, cold, but above all else, alone.

But he was aware. For now.

He heard the door opening, hinges protesting ever so slightly to the movement, and picked himself off the messy covers, instead sitting gingerly on the edge of the bed.

'Kouji,' he whispered softly. It was indeed his brother standing in the doorway.

Said brother was understandably quite shocked, seeing the elder twin sitting up and for the first time since the incident, apparently willing to talk.

The two sets of blue eyes locked, Kouji searching his brother's thoroughly. The strange darkness that he had grown somewhat accustomed to seeing was currently on a leave of absence, as was the strange red tint that appeared during the moments of anger. In fact, barring the sadness, despair and confusion that lurked in the midnight blue eyes, they looked more like his own than they had for the last few weeks.

'Ni-san,' he breathed back, somewhat hesitantly. 'You okay?'

He shook his head lightly, bangs whipping his face, before peering at the other through the black hair that now fell over his eyes and partially obscured his vision in a manner that made it seem like a small child's, when they had done something wrong and were about to be scolded for it.

Kouji couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight, taking the response as a positive sign and sat on the bed next to his brother. He was still wary of touching him, especially after the seeing the almost discrete way Kouichi shifted slightly away from him.

But he hated that look in his eyes. Fear. He also knew it was not him the other feared, but then...what was the cause of that haunted look, despite the obvious of course? He didn't understand.

'Come on Kouichi,' he coaxed gently, reaching out to offer comfort in whatever way he could. 'Tell me what's wrong.'

He shook his head, harder this time, recoiling yet warming at the light touch, cheeks flaming at the resulting reaction stemming from his heart vs. mind debate. He longed for his brother's comfort, yet he feared. Not his twin, he could never fear him, but what he might do to Kouji...

And he knew he could bear to see his brother hurt, he couldn't risk it, eventually shifting enough to put an arm's length of distance between the two, before answering, still somewhat hesitant.

'It's m-my f-fault,' he whispered, tears once again building up, racking his throat. 'I d-did some-thing, I-I don'-t kn-now what, but in the-en-'

He cut off, trembling slightly. He didn't want to continue that sentence. He didn't have to. Kouji knew. They were twins after all; he knew what his brother was trying to tell him.

He scooted closer. A mistake on his part, as Kouichi suddenly screamed and flattened himself against the wall, eyes wide open in terror and shaking wildly.

Distantly, he heard the front door bang; the others had probably heard and were coming up. But his attention was immediately drawn to his brother, and the look of utter panic on his face.

'Don't c-come an-y clo-ser,' he gasped, his speaking ability still hindered by the tears streaming down his cheeks and the sobs that racked his thin frame. 'Please, I-I don'-t wa-ant to hu-rt-'

'Relax. You're not going to hurt anyone,' Kouji soothed, but he kept his distance, seeing as coming closer would only further agitate the other teen.

The other shook his head violently, clutching his wrists in opposing hands, sharp nails piercing the injured skin, slicing open the still healing cuts. 'N-no, I can't h-help it...it wi-ll m-make me hu-rt-'

'What will?' he cried. 'Kouichi, you're not making any sense.' He started, seeing the blood beginning to drip from between his tightly woven fingers.

'Ni-san!' he exclaimed, horrified, turning his gaze to the blood stained sheets, and then to the stained bandages on a heap on the floor.

His brother suddenly screamed again, and Kouji snapped his back, only glimpsing the other's eyes before they squeezed tightly shut, arms coming up to clutch the tangled hair.

He had missed the red glint that had suddenly appeared.

He heard pounding footsteps on the landing, and then Takuya and the others burst into the room, staring at the sight in front of them.

But they kept their silence. As did Kouji. They could do nothing but watch as the piercing screams continued. The inhumane cry, chilling them all to their very bones.

_His head suddenly exploded in pain; strong, excruciating pain, obliterating every other thought out of existence. All he could think of was the searing pain coursing through his body, threatening to tear apart his very soul, and it had come upon him so suddenly that he had no ability to fight._

_Everything could be seen through a red haze. Chains, burning chains clung to him, binding him, smoldering him._

_Screaming, he thrashed in their grip, lashing out with careful precision, hitting where he knew they were weakest, shattering the chains that bound him to his agony..._

The screams stopped quite suddenly, leaving the other five almost breathless with anticipation. Until he lifted his head and opened his eyes.

His eyes were the colour of dried blood.

They all froze. Gone was the sweet, shy boy they knew. The sweet smile, the almost musical laughter, his twinkling midnight blue eyes holding their youthful, almost innocent glow...now crimson eyes were gleaming with a new will.

One that didn't bode well for them at all.


	4. The Most Certain Thing in Life is Death

**Author's Note**

Here's the next chapter. Enjoy. And I apologize for leaving the previous one at a cliff-hanger, it was unintentional. This one is intentional though. Though I am curious to know how many people actually guess what happens right.

And if anyone's curious as to why the motif of blood and life/death keep on repeating themselves, you'll find out...eventually. But it's a rather interesting literary device to employ. Anyone doing IB English would definitely know what I'm talking about.

And I know this chapter is a little bit shorter than usual, but if I mentioned any more information, I would have spoilt it. So you're all going to have to wait.

Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote:** "_Vita incerta, mors certissima_" lit. "The most certain thing in life is death" – Latin Proverb

* * *

**Chapter 3 – The Most Certain Thing in Life is Death**

The crimson eyes gleamed in the dim light, sweeping across the room and taking in its inhabitants, before finally focusing on the black haired boy in front of him, pale lips twisting into a slight smirk. The one he could easily identify as the twin of his host hadn't moved from his position, still staring at who he thought to be his brother in shock, distress...and underlying fear.

His smirk widened. _**'Hello brother,'**_ he said, voice strangely hollow and mechanical, as though computerised.

Kouji's eyes narrowed, some of his earlier shell-shock fading in favour of his rather overprotective nature in all matters regarding his elder twin. 'You're not Kouichi.'

A hollow chuckle. Rather eerie coming from so youthful a mouth. _**'No, I am not.'**_

'Then...who are-?'

He wasn't given the chance to finish as the flat of the other's hand knocked into his chest with enough force to knock the air violently from his lungs and send him crashing into Takuya, who, suddenly overcome by the additional weight of someone seven months his elder, lost his balance and fell to the wooden floor with Kouji sprawled on top of him. The other three had backed up in haste to avoid being caught in the momentum.

_**'Wouldn't you like to know,'**_ the other replied to the unfinished question. _**'I am who I've always been, and now you...you are the only one standing between me and my freedom...'**_

He turned his warped smile to the two on the floor, taking slow, measured steps, feet barely touching the floor and he walked, rather unlike Kouichi's own graceful yet rather clumsy footsteps. Kouji remained frozen, and Takuya, trapped beneath the other's weight in a position that was quite difficult to pry himself out of, was forced to remain still as well.

The sound of a car pulling up in the driveway was heard, but the five teenagers ignored it. Only young Tomoki, having not yet reached adolescence, turned from his position in the doorway towards the stairs. Glimpsing a familiar car outside through the open door, he pulled on the sleeve of the person closest to him, which turned out to be Junpei, and informed him in a whisper that either one or both of the twin's parents had come home. He in turn relayed the message to Izumi, who was standing beside him, and slightly behind, her emerald eyes staring at the scene in front of her.

Now, all three could hear the quiet murmurs outside. The two elder exchanged a brief glance, before exiting the room and heading downstairs, Tomoki following behind them, hoping, perhaps even beyond a fool's hope, that no harm would befall the others in their absence.

The other three remained in the room: Takuya, Kouji and the possessed Kouichi, who had stopped a few inches from the two boys sprawled on the ground to extract something from under the mattress of Kouji's bed, much neater in comparison to his brother's.

_**'Not too thorough are you brother,'**_ the voice in his brother's throat laughed, showing the small, gleaming blade he now held. _**'Not even considering your own things when you searched your brother's.'**_ He looked at the blade more carefully, taking in the crystal hilt and the Latin inscription that ran along the silver blade. _Vita incerta, mors certissima_; literally, "The most certain thing in life is death."

All three could see the inscription clearly, and all three were familiar with it. It had been a gift from one of his previous self-defence instructors; a mentor, and he always treasured the blade. In fact, in the eight years he had possessed it, it had yet to be stained with blood.

But that was about to change.

Swiftly, so swiftly that neither Takuya nor Kouji saw it coming, the blade lashed out, slashing a number of the black haired boy's jugular veins and causing blood to quite viciously spurt out. The brunette, spurned into action by the blood, managed to pry himself out from under the other's weight and grab Kouichi's arm as whatever demon was possessing him made to strike again, just as a strangled cry erupted from the injured boy's throat.

The elder twin, or rather, whatever was possessing him, made no attempt to remove the other's grip. In fact, he seemed almost...content. _**'Don't think you've won,'**_ he commented, eyes flashing between their usual crystalline blue and the previously crimson red as pounding footsteps could be heard on the stairs. _**'I will have my freedom soon...and next time, it will be permanently...'**_

He suddenly slumped, eyes blue, and Takuya's grip on his wrist was the only thing that stopped him from falling on top of his brother's barely conscious form. As it was, he fell partially upon the bloody pool of justice leaking around the younger twin, blood still gushing from the wound in his neck as he struggled to remain in the waking world and reach his brother.

The blue eyes slipped closed as more of his life's blood seeped away, and the only one left conscious in the room turned the doorway to meet five shocked faces.

* * *

Two weeks later, the pungent smell of blood still stained the upper floor. The younger twin had been lucky; had he not received the required help in time, he would not have survived the ordeal. As it was, he had been forced to remain in the hospital during that time to recover the large amount of blood he had lost, as well as to make sure no psychological harm had befallen him.

Various friends and members of the family had come to visit him during that duration. And yet the one whose company he longed for was yet to arrive. He had asked his father, only to receive the reply that the said twin was, to his knowledge, yet to emerge from his room after the incident and legal processes following.

No-one blamed the fourteen year old; for reasons left unsaid, all adults involved chose not to pursue the matter further in the public's eye. The entire incident was hushed up, as were any discussions, and the adults were acting in a rather suspicious manner, making the blue-eyed boy suspect that they knew more about what happened in that room than they were letting on.

Although it did spark a full-scale argument when the information was initially revealed to his parents. He chuckled slightly at the memory of his father's stern voice thundering in rage in the hospital waiting room, arousing quite a few patients in various rooms and scaring a good five years of the doctors on duty. Suffice to say, Minamoto Kousei mad isn't something particularly reassuring to witness. And as demonstrated by the ensuring row, it was not a very wise thing to answer back. Though it had worked to Kouji's advantage in that he was able to obtain some information. Now, all he had to do was put the pieces together.

Now, a full two weeks later, he was finally home again, standing once more in front of his room. He was afraid, afraid of what he would find once he opened that door. He knew his brother couldn't handle an emotion like guilt, and this latest crisis would simply amplify the danger of him doing something rather...rash. But this time, both twins felt that guilt; after all, Kouichi had tried to warn him, to get him to stay away, but Kouji had simply pushed forward...too far.

But he still didn't understand. That voice, the one that had spoken using his brother's mouth...it seemed completely independent of the twin which he knew and loved. A separate conscience. But that wasn't possible...only one conscience could dominate a body at a ti-only one?

Was that what was going on? It would explain Kouichi's rather odd behaviour. The rapid and repetitive cycles of sanity and angst, the incredibly unhealthy sleeping and eating habits, the self inflicted wounds...there was something else, another conscience fighting for dominance.

One of the doctors had mentioned something about a scientific experiment involving the creation of an artificial intelligence in his tirade. A conscience, completely made from data, which developed independent of any guidance far beyond the limitations of technology, to a point which its very existence had become detrimental to the existence of humankind. As a last resort, the team of scientists initially working on the project had been forced to 'download' the conscience into a premature mind in the hopes that the natural conscience would be able to overcome the artificial parasite in their mind.

Kouichi...no wander their father had been so mad when he had found out. It had to be him...the entire incident had taken place around fourteen years ago, the same time he and his twin were born, and like most twins, premature.

His eyes darkened in anger at the thought. Scowling, he threw the door to their shared room open, before stopping dead at the sight in front of him, simmering anger dying down into a feeling of dread.

Blood was splattered on the walls closest to the windows, red, moist, and permanently grafting messages of guilt into the white. The silver knife was on the desk, hill embedded deep into the wood, its inscription gleaming in the moonlight that shone through the open window. The words stood out like a beacon: _Vita incerta, mors certissima..._

But worst of all, there was no sign of his brother.


	5. Empty of All Emotion

**Author's Note**

Hi again everyone. New chapter. In terms of time context, this chapter actually takes place before and during the second half of last chapter, but if I added it in there, it would have spoilt it, so I simply moved it to a separate chapter.

And no-one managed to hit the nail on the head. Sigh, I love torturing the characters. Though Kouji's carrying the brunt of it this time. I mean, come on, Kouichi's memory is like swiss cheese; he's lucky enough to most of the bad stuff. Though I did do that on purpose.

Anyway, let's see if this clears things up.

By the way, I've finished planning...finally. So this story is going to be eighteen chapters long, including the prologue and epilogue.

Now, another question. Would you like me to put previews up for the next chapter as I post a current one, or not? Be forewarned that they'll probably confuse you more, because I'm not planning on spoiling anything. I just put one at the end of this chapter to test it out.

Anyway, now on to the new chapter. Enjoy (or don't, your choice), and please tell me what you think. I'm not a mind-reader guys, though I do enjoy psychology...

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote:** "There was neither light nor dark: there was nothing here but emptiness." – Clifford

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Empty of All Emotion**

_He awoke to the smell of antiseptic and the sight of blank white curtains surrounding him. Surprisingly, he felt numb...no pain, no guilt...just nothing._

_ 'Oh...you're awake.'_

_Blank blue eyes stared up at the man hovering over him, a mask covering his mouth and nose, and dressed in a white laboratory coat. A white gloved hand slightly obscured his line of vision, brushing his bangs away before prodding experimentally at his temples._

_He pulled away suddenly, loud footsteps echoing as he searched for something. He must have found it without too much trouble, as he returned one or two minutes later, the sounds of various machines humming as they started up._

_More footsteps could be heard, intensity varying, followed by the sound of soft murmurs, before something metallic slipped over his head, covering both his eyes and ears and attaching itself to the boy's temples._

_ 'Don't worry,' a voice attempted to reassure him, close to his ear and loud enough for him to hear through the headpiece he now adorned. 'Everything's going to be just fine...'_

_A sudden, searing pain suddenly erupted from behind his temples, enveloping everything in a haze of back, toned down by the numbness. Distantly, he could hear mumbling, yet he was only able to make out a single sentence, one which he wasn't meant to hear, but did anyway, for better or worse._

_ '...till the effects wear off again, 'cause they're not gonna last forever...'_

Kouichi sighed, shifting slightly under the covers. Whatever those Doctors had done was working...for now. That strange, overpowering presence no longer plagued his mind, suppressed by the antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs that were subscribed to him. Even the slight whispers, soft like the wind, could no longer be heard, leaving his ears ringing from the absence of something that had been around his entire life.

He was still feeling nauseous, and hungry, having only awoken for the third time in two weeks only hours before, and for the first time, managing to stay conscious for more than a quarter of an hour. But apart from that, he felt empty. Devoid of any emotion. He supposed it was good in a way; he wasn't the best at handling his emotions...but this new numbness...he wasn't sure it was a good thing. After all, blocking out sadness would also block out joy...and like an anaesthetic, it would wear off...eventually.

Maybe things could finally go back to normal, back to how things were before their mother died, and this whole mess started. Back where their young, innocent pastimes put smiles on their parents' faces, and laughter in the voices of their neighbours. Back when the six of them played together for long hours, and twins for longer yet, well into the night, their games never ending. Back when nothing could ever tear them apart.

He turned slightly, groaning lightly in pain as he limbs, numb from their extended vacation, shifted. Gritting his teeth against the pain that accompanied the fact that his limbs had remained in the same position for days on end and simply amplified by his lack of energy, he forced the covers off himself and stood, hands gripping the mattress tightly to support his own weight as his knees threatened to buckle beneath him.

He stood precariously on his feet, releasing his vice-like grip on the mattress and steadying himself on the wall instead. Once he had regained enough balance, he started to walk slowly towards the door, carefully using the wall as support.

It was slow going, but he was almost there when the shining glint of something metallic caught his eye. He turned, blinking as the light hit his eyes, before shielding them with a hand by reflex. Using the other, he stumbled across the room, using the bed to support himself as he approached the desk, with moonlight shining through the slim gap in the curtains, with the windows open behind them, and reflecting off the silver dagger lying on the desk, mostly free from the blood that had previously stained it. And yet he could still see the faint traces of crimson staining the silver blade.

'Kouji's blade,' he whispered softly, voice hoarse from lack of any recent speech. He remembered it well. It was his brother's most treasured possession. And yet it had been stained with blood.

Someone had tried to clean it, and had marginally succeeded, but not even all the cleaning agents in the world could rid the stain of blood from any object. Guilt, sin...yet also honour and bravery...live and love...all that blood represents, staining the silver metal.

He picked the blade from its position and fingered it gingerly, taking care as to not cut himself and stain the blade further, wandering why his brother's precious blade had been stained. Especially since neither twin liked the sight of blood. Then of course he wandered where his brother was; the house sounded unnaturally empty without his brother's music filling the house, or else sound emitting from the stereo, the console, or even his brother's hopeless attempts at cooking something halfway edible...

The front door downstairs banged suddenly, startling the shorter-haired twin and causing the hands gripping the blade to slip. Blood splattered on the wall as he jerked back, dropping the dagger which dug slightly into the desk as it landed, point down. He stumbled slightly at the sudden loss of support, forcing him to seek stability in the form of the wall, smearing more blood and the flow from his palms slowed slightly. Surprisingly, he hadn't felt any pain.

Frowning slightly, he examined his palm. Twin cuts ran parallel on one palm, while a deeper and slightly jagged ran down the forefinger on the other hand. The blood from the cuts on his palm had slowed to a slight trickle, but blood was still dripping out of the other, deeper one. More blood than should have, not that he noticed.

And the cuts on his wrists were just starting to heal too, he noticed, nudging the sleeves up and examining the pale, exposed skin. Just wonderful.

His vision suddenly swam and his stomach lurched, presumably the result of lack of sufficient nutrients, the strange numbness, and the loss of blood. Hurridly, he stumbled to the bathroom across the hall, fumbling with both doorknobs he encountered along the way, before disposing of his stomach's contents into the bathroom sink. It was mostly stomach fluid he threw up, not having eaten for quite awhile, but there was also a viscous liquid which he didn't recognize.

Grimacing, he turned on the faucet and let the water gently wash away the vomit. His blood mixed with the water, turning it a light pink as he held his forefinger under the gentle stream to clean the wound.

He jumped again as he heard the door to the bedroom the twins shared fly open with a resounding crash, water droplets flying as he opened the bathroom door and peaked out.

'K-kou-ji?' he coughed out, his voice now hoarser than it had been previously, at the sight of his brother's pale and shaking form standing in the doorway to the room they shared.

Kouji froze at the voice for a few precious seconds, before his head snapped towards the sound so fast that one had to wander how he succeeded in not aggravating his wounded neck even further.

'Kouichi?'

Said twin barely had time to react before the other leapt for him, sweeping the elder twin into an embrace, and causing them both to stumble and fall onto the cold tiles due to the extra force.

'Don't you ever scare me like that again!' the younger twin scolded.

Kouichi had to laugh at his brother's tone. Not in amusement, though he was sure that if he wasn't feeling so numb, he would have felt it, but rather the reflexive response that had developed from the longer-haired twin's constant over-protectiveness.

Kouji smiled at the sound of his brother's laughter echoing off the white bathroom walls, ignoring the rawness of his voice. His laughter, it was a sound he hadn't heard for far too long. Maybe things could finally go back to normal.

It was then of course that he got a good look at Kouichi's condition. He was about to ask, when Kouichi beat him to the punch.

'Daijoubu desu-ka 'touto-chan?' he asked softly, pulling himself up using the bathroom sink.

Kouji supposed something must have shown on his face, or else his brother was inquiring about the bandage around his neck. But still...'have you looked at yourself yet Ni-san?'

Kouichi responded by gazing sidelong at the bathroom mirror. Instantly, he could see why his brother was so worried. His skin, naturally pale, was a sickly shade of almost white, and a light sweat was dripping from his forehead. Dark circles were under his eyes, despite his prolonged durations of sleep, and his eyes...they were empty. No light, no darkness, no happiness, no grief, no pain...they were empty.

His stomach grumbled suddenly, startling both twins out of their approaching discussion. Kouichi laughed awkwardly, although there was no emotion in it. 'I guess I'm kind of hungry...and tired.' He validated this statement by stifling a yawn behind his hand.

'Okay, okay, I get it,' Kouji grumbled good-naturally. Then he caught sight of the blood still trickling from his right hand. 'What did you do to your hand?!'

'It's fine,' Kouichi mumbled, reaching up to grab the first aid kit from the overhead cabinet, before washing both hands clean from the blood. 'My hands just slipped on your dagger...'

'Well, that explains the blood in the room.'

'I'll clean it up,' he mumbled apologetically, dabbing disinfectant on his wounds, before grabbing a roll of bandages, only for Kouji to snatch them out of his hands.

'Leave that to me,' he said strictly, wrapping his brother's hands carefully. 'Go downstairs and get something to eat...you know, on second thought, I'll take you down. Don't want you tripping down the stairs again.'

At his brother's half-hearted glare, he added, disposing of the cotton wool and torn packaging into the wastebasket, and replacing the rest into the cabinet. 'Oh come on, you remembered what happened when we were eleven.'

Kouichi sighed at his brother's stubbornness and over-protectiveness, but relented, switching the faucet off before following his brother out the door.

Behind them, the sink sparked with its white finish, free from any impurities only to be dirtied again.

* * *

**Note:** _Daijoubu desu-ka?_: Are you okay?

* * *

**Preview for following chapter:**

_'I know something's wrong Ni-san, but I can't help you unless you tell me.'_

'_You don't understand! You can't understand!'_

'_Then help me understand Ni-san!'_

'_I can't,' he sobbed. 'I can't, you can't.'_

'_Why?! Why won't you let me in?'_

'_Because I hurt you...and I could hurt you again!' _


	6. You Only Hurt the Ones You Love

**Author's Notes**

Just a note. It's never mentioned as far as I know whether the twins are identical or fraternal. Therefore, in some of my stories, they are fraternal (ie. Dizygotic), and in others, they are identical (monozygotic) but the different environments in which they grew up in caused the slight difference in their appearance. In this story, the twins are monozygotic.

And the info on the drugs is from my psychology notes. Funnily enough, I just covered that material in class today, in Psychology of Dysfunctional Behaviour, specifically treatments from the Biological Perspective.

In terms of time context, this chapter takes place a month or two after the first part of Chapter 3: The Most Certain Thing in Life is Death, depending on where you are in the chapter – first part (before divider 1): one month after, second part (between the two dividers): one week short of two months, and last part (after the second divider): two months after.

Wow, I actually managed to do all this in half an hour. Now how did I manage that?

Anyway, please read, enjoy and review. And thanks to everyone who has stuck with me and this story so far.

By the way, thanks to Marika-P's review, I'm sticking to the previews. Once again, at the end of the chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote: **"The only thing I hate in you is the hurt I cause you." – Nadine T.

* * *

**Chapter 5 – You Only Hurt the Ones You Love**

Things eventually fell back into their normal routine. Despite the awkwardness of returning to school after two and a half weeks of absence (more than a month for Kouichi), both twins were able to catch up with the missed homework, and for the most part, ignored the rumours circulating their temporary absence. Kouji's bandage came off after a few days, after another week, the wound had completely healed, leaving only the faintest scar, and a very confused Kouichi behind. After getting back to three square meals a day, Kouichi's health started picking up from where it had sat previously at the edge of depression, and after Kouji, his parents and his friends watching his eating habits like a hawk, Kouichi was eventually back on his feet and functioning quite normally, all things considered.

However, it was Kouji who first began to pick up subtle differences in his brother's behaviour. It was natural, one would suppose; after all, the two were twins, monozygotic, and essentially inseparable.

It was his reaction to the circulating rumours, or rather lack thereof, which first tipped him off. Kouichi had always been sensitive, and pretty bad at hiding his emotions, if only to him and their mother, even as he kept a smile on his face except through the most difficult of times. But he hadn't reacted at all to the rumours, or rather any genuine reaction. Not even the more vicious rumours, most of which classed him with either some sort of mental disability or a link to crime. He shook his head slightly, recalling the latest rumour that had reached his ears, courtesy of Izumi, in which his brother was a...a more intense shake of the head. _Head out of the gutter Kouji, _he scolded himself mentally, before sighing. The stuff some people came up with just to hurt others...though that was beside the current point.

Even now, as the other approached him, he wore the same gentle but forced smile upon his face. 'Ohayou 'touto-chan,' he greeted in that soft way of his, using the affectionate nickname, balancing his schoolbooks on one hip, held in place with his arm while the other shielded his eyes from the sun.

Kouji frowned at the slight emptiness in his tone. 'What's wrong Ni-san?'

'Nothing's wrong Kouji-kun.'

'But you don't sound happy.'

He peered into his brother's near identical features as he said that. When he uttered that same line in the past, a look of amusement would fill the other's face, but this time, he didn't twitch in reply to the statement.

'What's wrong?' he asked again.

'I told you,' Kouichi stated in a monotone, turning away and heading towards the gate, expecting the other to follow, which he did so, rather hurriedly, carrying his own books. 'Nothing's wrong.'

He sounded tired, which in all honesty just made the younger twin worry more. 'Have you taken your medication?'

'...yes.'

'And?'

'And what?'

The elder twin turned back to his brother outside the school compound, as the younger stopped just behind him. 'You know, any side effects, like...oh, I don't know, going hyper or...wait a sec, what medications are they anyway?'

'Chlorpromazine and Nardil,' Kouichi replied.

'And should I know what those are?'

Kouichi laughed at that response, although it, like his smile, sounded forced. 'No, since you don't take psychology. Chlorpromazine is an antipsychotic drug, as it acts as a sort of tranquiliser, and Nardil is an antidepressant, which in theory is supposed to lift mood, but more often than not doesn't work that way.'

'Side effects?' Kouji persisted.

'Decrease in blood pressure, sedation, occasional muscle spasms, muscle rigidity, restlessness, slow movement, increased seizure tendency, dry mouth, nausea, blurred vision...' here he paused to rub his eyes with his free hand, before continuing. '...nasal congestion, reduced sweating, rashes, sensitivity to sunlight, weight gain and fatigue.'

It took a few minutes for Kouji's mind to process that. 'Okay, I really don't want to know how you remembered all that. At least, that explains some stuff, like your tiredness and lack of reaction, but some of that is dangerous. Like the decrease in blood pressure...what if your heart stops pumping blood suddenly?'

Kouichi was, as usual lately, silent a moment before replying. 'Not all side effects apply to all people. And Nardil for one doesn't seem to have much effect with me.'

'You're taking it regularly?'

'Yes...it just isn't...;

'...lifting your mood?'

Kouichi was silent for longer than usual. 'I guess you could put it that way, he said at length.

'So, what's wrong?'

'Nothing.'

* * *

That night was rather restless for Kouichi, despite his persisting fatigue. Kouji, ever the early bird, fell asleep rather quickly in the relative darkness of their shared bedroom, but every time the elder twin drifted off into a state of semi-consciousness, a dull, suffocating feeling would jolt him awake. As a result, once morning rolled around, Kouichi hadn't managed to get a wink of sleep, although he did his best to hide it, splashing his face in cold water in an attempt to wake himself up.

'Ni-san? You're up early?' Kouji's voice sounded from the other side of the bathroom door.

'Yeah...' he didn't mention why. As long as he could hide it from his brother, he would. He didn't want to worry him any more than he already was.

Especially since he worried so much lately...especially since Kouji came back from the hospital, though no-one told him why his younger twin had been admitted in the first place.

Though he had a sneaking suspicion that it was somehow his fault...just like his mother...

...all the people he loved were getting hurt because of him...and yet he couldn't remember, or understand how...

...funny how that thought, which hadn't done much in terms of his mood since the duration he had been on the medication, where bringing back echoes of his previous depression. Perhaps the drugs prescribed to him were losing their effect...

'Hurry up Ni-san!' Kouji called. 'I need to use the bathroom too.'

_No need to make him worry needlessly. He can't understand. How can he, when I can't?..and I can't let him get hurt again...whether it was my fault or not..._

'I'm done,' he called, closing off the faucet, before drying his face on his towel and plastering a smile on his face, before unlocking the door.

'Bathroom's all yours 'touto-chan.'

* * *

Kouichi actually managed to hide his sleepless nights from his younger twin for a week, which, compared to the usual less than a minute attempts, was quite an accomplishment. Although it took him longer than usual to realise, Kouji eventually picked up something was wrong, and confronted the older twin as they settled in for bed.

'I know something's wrong Ni-san,' he said, sitting on his bed, 'but I can't help you unless you tell me.'

'You don't understand!' Kouichi, on the other hand, was pacing in front of his brother's bed in slight agitation. 'You can't understand!'

'Then help me understand Ni-san!'

'I can't,' he sobbed, taking a seat next to his brother and burying his face in his hands. 'I can't, you can't.'

'Why?!' he snapped, slightly harsher than necessary, yet somewhat desperate for an explanation. 'Why won't you let me in? We used to be inseparable, but lately I feel as though sometimes I don't even know you!'

'Because I hurt you...and I could hurt you again!'

Somehow, it always seemed to come back to that.

'Kouichi...'

'Iie...iie Otouto-chan.' He shook his head, bangs flying. 'Don't.' He paused for a moment, breathing deeply, before continuing. 'You know I love you 'touto-chan, and that's why I could never hurt you...but...' His voice trailed off.

The younger twin opened his mouth to speak, only for the elder to prevent him by placing his forefinger gently on the other's lips. 'Shh...just go to sleep Kouji.'

With those words, he lifted his hand off the other and walked quietly to his own bed, snuggling into the covers. Kouji sat up momentarily, gazing sightlessly into the darkness. 'Ni-san?'

He received no reply.

* * *

**Preview for following chapter:**

_Kouichi lay awake long after his younger twin's breath's evened out. The thirst for freedom, the bloodlust...it was becoming too strong for him to hide, or handle anymore._

_He was going to have to choose. Which was more important. To protect...or to be free?_


	7. To Protect or to be Free

**Author's Notes**

Alright. Next chapter complete. This story sure is fun to write up. And if anyone is curious, the read action, and 'horror' part, starts up next chapter.

This story is suddenly becoming more popular in terms of hits, funnily enough, though no-one reviewed the last chapter. I found that pretty funny. my classmates were wandering what I was laughing about... Odd timing...I would have thought either before or after (about the time when you're ready to kill me)...but, oh well. I am pretty much abnormal when it comes to 'normal' thinking processes. We've had enough discussions in psychology for everyone to determine that.

I mean, the rest of the class is scared of heights, snakes, bees and spiders, while I once had a pet spider, study my Arabic vocabs with the bees (and moths) when they come in through the window, and am not scared of heights or snakes. Rather, for some reason, I'm scared of eclipses. And I love school. So according the criteria, that makes me weird. But I'm getting off topic...

...so lets see what people make of this chapter. And about the ending...it was just the perfect place to stop...

If anyone's getting confused when reading the Kouichi parts, just remember that as the 'other conscience' takes over Kouichi's own, he is less himself, and he is basically only partly in control. The suppressants didn't last too long, all medications tend to lose their effect after awhile, and it's no different with the suppressants.

Anyway, please read, enjoy and tell me what you think. Doesn't matter what you think, it is your opinion after all. And thanks to everyone who has stuck with me and this story so far.

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote: **"Running away will never make you free" - Kenny Loggins

* * *

**Chapter 6 – To Protect or to be Free**

Kouichi lay awake long after his younger twin's breath's evened out. The thirst for freedom, the bloodlust...it was becoming too strong for him to hide, or handle anymore.

He was going to have to choose. Which was more important? To protect...or to be free?

He wanted so much to protect the people he cared about; his father and stepmother, his friends...and most importantly, his brother...but...it was just becoming so difficult; too difficult for him to handle much longer.

He truly wanted to protect those he cared about, but that other feeling was so much stronger...it wasn't him, but it was slowly taking over.

Kouji had said that it was as though he didn't know him any more...and for good reason too. _He_ wasn't himself anymore. Slowly, but surely, he was losing himself...and he couldn't do anything about it.

Despite how much he wanted too.

He rolled over slightly in his bed, turning to gaze into his brother's peaceful face. He was so tense as of late; they both were, but asleep, he looked as the lines of age and worry had faded from his face.

_Worry for me..._he thought sadly. _Worrying because he knows something's wrong with me...but he's the one that's in danger..._

His breathing constricted suddenly, painfully, and he clutched as his blankets, trying desperately to be as silent as possible as he fought the suffocating feeling that suddenly enveloped him.

He wanted to sleep; so badly, he wanted to simply let go...he was getting to tired, to weak to continue fighting like this.

But he had to.

Only he couldn't.

He forced himself to breathe, slowly and evenly, so as not to awaken his slumbering twin, and to keep the oxygen he needed to sustain him still circulating around his body through his blood, still keeping his heart beating, pounding heavily in his ribcage, so loudly that he was thanking all the divine powers that the sound could not be heard by anyone else...and keeping him alive.

He couldn't kill himself...he'd leave too much pain and suffering behind...so much, that the action itself would not justify his intention. And then Kouji...the two were linked, they were after all, identical. If he died...what would happen to Kouji, with in essence, half of himself dead and gone.

He would be free then, but who's to say it would solve anything.

Besides, he had already tried that. The scars on his wrists, still marking the pale skin, proved that. And evidently, it hadn't worked.

But they'd all suffer anyway.

Leaving then? It seemed like a plausible option. He couldn't stay, that much was apparent. And whatever darkness was crushing him, it would not be suppressed.

Provided that physical distance would lessen the feeling which by each passing minute was growing even stronger.

He pulled the covers off himself and quietly stepped out of bed. He padded gently over to his brother's side, gazing once more into the face almost identical to his own.

Despite growing up separately, they were closer than most people got to each other in a lifetime. They were twins, foils of each other.

Gently, he ran his forefinger along the place where his brother's neck had been slashed...it had been more than a month ago now. Kouji refused to tell him, as did anyone else, but he knew somehow, that just like his mother, it was somewhat his own fault.

And that's why he had to stay away...he couldn't put his brother in danger like that again, just because he longed for that company.

It had a while ago ceased being about him. Now it was about everyone else.

And he wouldn't, no couldn't, be so selfish as to put other peoples' lives at risk.

Regardless of who they were...

His hands twitched, the other coming almost of his own accord to join its partner at Kouji's neck. How easily he could simply end the other's life...just one jerk, and it would be all over. They hovered there for a moment, before one jerked back, Kouichi's expression horrified at what he had nearly done.

He stared at one hand, the other still touching the warm flesh. How easily, how willingly he could have killed his brother...that was it, he couldn't...he had to get away, somehow...somewhere...

'I'm sorry 'touto-chan,' he murmured softly, so softly, that even the gentle wind outside was louder.

He withdrew his hand, the other subconsciously leaning into the touch that was no longer there. He froze, but the other made no new movement, and so he stepped away from the bed and quietly exited the room, closing the door slowly, but firmly, behind him.

He treaded carefully, taking care so neither the doors, nor the stairs which connected the second story to the first, creaked and woke any of the other inhabitants of the house. He moved softly through the ground floor, through the kitchen at the right of the stairs, and eventually, the front door.

Carefully, he undid the locks, and removed the safety chain, before his hand paused at the doorknob. The steel felt cold under his touch, biting, but in a way numbing...but this wasn't the time for second doubts. Steeling himself, he grasped the handle, and carefully eased the door open, stepping through the threshold, before closing it firmly behind him, the locks automatically slipping back into place.

The outer locks were easily enough to undo by hand; they were fashioned like that after all. Easy to open from the inside, yet near impossible from the outside without the proper set of keys. Keys which were in his desk drawer upstairs.

After all, he wasn't intending to come back.

He slipped through the gates, closing them behind him with finality.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the last lock slid itself into place. It was done. There was no turning back now.

Only, it wasn't enough.

He couldn't breathe again, but this time, it was far more intense, far more enduring. Red haze covered his vision, and his body trembled with the effort to keep himself conscious, and in control.

He stumbled blindly along a path he had walked many times, almost unconsciously treading the twists and turns that would lead him to his destination. Where he was going, he wasn't really sure; all he knew was that he needed to get away somewhere...

Only, the agony simply increased with each passing step.

Eventually, he sank to his knees on the empty pavement, unable to force his body to endure another step, unable to continue fighting a fight he knew he could not win. His head was swimming, coherent thoughts were no longer forming in his mind. He was still struggling, but struggling now only to stay conscious, but it was a battle he was losing fast.

If only because he had left his anchor of light far behind.

It was over. He had lost. He couldn't be free of it...but he hoped at least, he had given enough to protect those he cared about.

The moon shone in the dark sky, its light shining upon the pavement, and the trees that surrounded him. The buildings were far...thank goodness, but the darkness of the night was slowly devouring its shine.

Or perhaps it was his own vision, sinking into darkness. He had no way of knowing.

* * *

He was free. Finally. The darkness he cherished had been his ultimate rebirth; after all these years, he had been freed from the chains that had tied him down.

Blood red eyes opened, taking in the world with a new gaze.

No longer soon...

...but now.

* * *

**Preview for following chapter:**

_One door was locked to him. The door behind which the one thing that kept him from reaching his full potential was behind. But other doors were open to him. Doors which would, eventually, lead him to where he wanted to be._

_It was only a matter of doing it right._


	8. Without a Past, Without a Future

**Author's Note**

Hi again everyone. Welcome to the latest chapter. Now this chapter should give everyone enough information to figure out who the scientists that fashioned the alternate conscience in Kouichi (I mentioned them in previous chapters) are. I even showed the name and description of one. If not, the rest'll be introduced in the next chapter.

And if anyone is confused as to when that flashback/memory occurred, it was actually before chapter 1. It was mentioned in passing, but I didn't go into any detail. Until now anyway...

Anyway, enjoy people...and thank you to everyone who's stuck with me so far.

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote:** "Once I knew only darkness and stillness...my life was without past or future..."-Helen Keller

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Without a Past, Without a Future**

He was free. Finally. The darkness he cherished had been his ultimate rebirth; after all these years, he had been freed from the chains that had tied him down.

Blood red eyes opened, taking in the world with a new gaze.

No longer soon...

...but now.

He looked around him, taking in the footpath he knelled on, and the architectural structures rising up around it, with the occasional tree breaking the man-made structural formation. Each was complex, foolishly so, and yet most were lacking in means of security.

Of course, the one he wanted was not.

He could not see the house from here, the one his host had fled from, and effectively sealed him off from. He at least, had momentarily succeeded in that part. The gates were locked, and the key card that could have unlocked them was hidden safely in a draw within the security of the home.

Under any other circumstances, it wouldn't have mattered. That child was, after all, simply that, a child. But this child was the one who had delayed his freedom, who had caused the darkness he cherished and lived off to recede time and time again, to be replaced by the accursed light from which he had been fashioned from. The light which was still, to some extent, holding him back.

Oh how it had hurt, all that time he spent, only half made, no prospect of a past or a future, in limbo, with the blinding light all around him, burning him, as he was morphed and shifted and changed, all in the name of science.

He would show them all, teach them how the bitter pain hurt.

He scowled into the distance, from the house where he, or rather, his host, had come.

One door was locked to him. The door behind which the one thing that kept him from reaching his full potential was behind. But other doors were open to him. Doors which would, eventually, lead him to where he wanted to be.

It was only a matter of doing it right.

He turned abruptly and vanished into the shadows.

* * *

Soon after, he stopped in front of a smaller house on the outskirts of town. Across the town was the graveyard, and in the basement of this house was the laboratory in which his conscience had been created. A few blocks inward was the hospital in which he had been imprisoned, for fourteen long years awaiting the chance to be free once more, and to take his revenge on those who had imprisoned him, and on a larger scale, those who oppressed and imprisoned others in order to father themselves.

It would soon end; he knew, no future existed for him. Nor did any past...all there was for him was darkness, his abode, and that accursed light. But that did not mean that he could achieve what he wanted in the time that he had. After all, he knew, better than those others, that it wouldn't last. Soon enough, the sands of time would wash the bloodied lessons of the past away, as it did.

It was late; the inhabitants of the home were sleeping. Quietly, he slipped through the gate and into the yard, circling his targeted area like a wolf stalking his prey. He passed an window, where a young, blonde haired girl slept, and then a closed one, where he could make out a far older man in his bed. A familiar man; one of the five who were responsible for his existence.

He turned back, before slipping through the open window quietly, so as not to disturb the young teen from her sleep. Entering the room, he found it like most teens of the female gender, decorated in their own definition of fashion. For her, it was mostly a gothic black style, a white frame showing the girl at a younger age with two adults whom he could only assume to be her parents being the only thing standing out from the gloom.

At least for now, but that was about to change.

Crimson eyes swept the room once more, catching the silver glimmer of something metallic buried under a pile of clothes.

Screams of horror and fear filled his ears, the memory echoing in the deeper parts of his mind, as he bent to extract the offending object, fingering the razor as a wall splattered with blood and soaked with guilt and fear appeared before his eyes, accompanied with a familiar face filled with horror as life's liquid stemmed and stained the running water pink. It, naturally, vanished as soon as it came, but the fleeting memory of his host had given him an idea.

* * *

Alice McCoy stirred awake with the dawn light shining through the open window onto the bed upon which she slept. Sky blue eyes blinked sleepily, too ridden with fatigue to properly take in her surroundings as she sat up and pulled the covers off her slim body. As such, she failed to notice the stained bed clothes and wall, nor did she notice the pungent smell that scented the air, as she slipped her small feet into a pair of slippers and treaded down the hallway to the bathroom.

A bath was first on the agenda, and so she filled the bathtub, before pulling the long nightshirt off her pale frame, casting it into the shadows of the room without sparing it a glance, followed shortly after by the layers under it. Once she was fully undressed, she stepped into the tub, letting the lukewarm water wash away her morning fatigue as every other day.

So, of course, she was surprised to find her skin stinging at the contact. She opened her eyes slightly, for a moment simply eying the swirling red enveloping her which was slowly staining the bathwater pink, before her eyes shot open fully and she screamed, a high, feminine shriek which echoed around the small white-tiled room and sounded around the house.

Pounding footsteps were heard on the other side of the door, following by a hollow knocking.

'Alice? Alice dear, are you ok in there?' an elderly, male voice asked.

Alice didn't answer. Her initial scream had died away, the paralysing shock lifting and transforming into a more, wilder release. She shrieked again, crying and flailing in the bathtub and kicking the pinkish water, causing it to splatter and dampen and stain the white tiles and the white towel that rested there.

The door opened, and her grandfather, Rob McCoy entered the room, dressed in his white laboratory coat and eye glasses perched on his nose. He stopped dead at the blood, but unlike his granddaughter, did not scream, instead spurring himself into a more logical way of action, despite the fear that chilled his bones, gently lifting the flailing teen out of the bathtub and setting her on the tiled floor, before extracting the first aid kit and bandaging the scars around her body, now plain as day, crossing over like chains tying a dog down.

Alice whimpered, but ceased her screaming as the last of the wounds were bandaged up. The loss of blood had her feeling rather faint, so the elderly man carried her gently back to her bedroom for some well needed rest.

Before stopping again as he nudged the door open with his foot.

Blood stained the dark walls and the carpet, the liquid of life splattered all over. It spread across the room like a spider's web, the darkest stains being under the window where the sun shone...reflecting off the broken shards of a photo frame, with the photo irreversibly damaged by the crimson liquid. The photo of her parents, who had died shortly after her birth.

The young child slumped in her guardian's arm, half from the fear which clutched her soul, half from the blood which she had lost throughout. All in all, it was remarkable the loss had not caused an earlier collapse, but he was a man of science, and science had the answer.

The blood of life always flowed free and plentiful without the chains of fear restricting it.

But fear was plentiful now. In the man, and in her granddaughter.

And what was worse, was that the person, or thing, responsible was still free, and ready to strike again.

* * *

Kouji awoke a little after ten, sitting up and stretching in an attempt to loosen his stiff muscles.

'Ohayou Ni-san,' he mumbled sleepily, expecting his brother to be awake and bustling around the room as he normally is.

He blinked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes when he received no answer, before glancing at the bed opposite him, startled to find it already empty and made.

'Did he leave early?' the longer-haired twin wondered out loud, tidying his own before leaving to check.

He could hear his stepmother in the bathroom, so he instead went downstairs after searching the upper floor, to find nothing save his father on the couch with his traditional cup of coffee and newspaper in front of him, eyes glued to the television.

'Ohayou Otou-san,' he greeted. 'Have you seen Kouichi?'

'Kouichi?' his father turned from the television to give his younger son an odd look. 'Isn't he still asleep?'

Kouji shook his head. 'His bed's made as well. I thought he went out. He's not around the house either.'

'In his slippers? Because his sneakers are still by the door.'

Father and son locked eyes, before they were interrupted by the news on television, two pairs of eyes snapping to the screen as the news reporter reported the latest incident.

'...attack on fourteen year old Alice McCoy, granddaughter of the reknown American Scientist Rob McCoy, one of the five who were involved with the Dusk Project just over fourteen years ago. Police are still investigating the details...'

Images were shown on the screen, a blood covered photograph, crimson spreading across a gothic style decorated room like a spider's webbing, something silver gleaming with blood...

Kouji felt his own blood run cold. That incident, it was like déjà vu. But they couldn't possibly be connected-could they?

He vaguely heard his father stumbling around, a few muffled words, before the distinguishable sound of the telephone ringing.

'Hello?' Minomoto Kousei said into the receiver, masking his unease with the stolid businessman attitude most had come to expect from him. 'Yes, I did...Kouichi? No, I haven't seen him today. Why?'

Kouji came closer to his father, but he didn't really need to be to hear the next statement.

'We think that the Dusk Project may have been responsible.'

* * *

**Preview for the next chapter:**

_He closed his eyes, but sleep wound not come easily to him. He couldn't help but worry whether or not his brother was safe...or if he was hurting._

_ 'Kouji...'_

_He sat up suddenly, eyes sightless against the darkness of the still night. What was that?_

_ 'Kouji...'_

_He stood abruptly, flicking the light switch, before making his way over to the window, pulling the curtains back and looking to the grounds below. Nothing...only the darkness of the night extended beyond his the bulb of light from his room, without even a sliver of the moon to shed light upon it._

_ '...help...'_


	9. Reveal what was Hidden

**Author's Note**

Hello again everyone. Next chapter complete, containing a part of the explanation. So hopefully after this chapter, you all know where Dusk came from.

BTW, Alice and Rob from the last chapter were from Digimon Tamers (season 3) in case someone didn't pick that up.

Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote:** "Time will bring to light whatever is hidden"-Horace

* * *

**Chapter 8 – Reveal what was Hidden**

There was silence in the Minamoto's living room. Minamoto Kousei sat in the middle of one couch, wife on one side, his younger son on the other. Rob McCoy had claimed the love-seat with his granddaughter, while two women and a man occupied another couch. Another man and woman, presumably husband and wife, shared the remaining couch with the eldest child, while the three remaining, one the same age as Kouji and Alice, and one who looked barely ten years old, sat on the carpeted floor.

Alice had been lucky; the cuts had been shallow, and had bypassed her veins. The blood that had leaked out had made the whole incident seem more terrifying, but despite being out of danger, for the time being in any case, the foreign teen was not calmed, sitting pale and stiff upon the love-seat as her grandfather and guardian gently squeezed her shoulders.

'Well?' Kousei snapped at length, concern for his own children putting a strain on his normally calm demeanour. 'Explain. Who are all of you? Where's my son? And what does this have to do with that Dusk project?'

The five involved looked at each other, before one took the initiative, looping his hands around the shoulders of the boy who sat in front of him as he began to explain.

'I'm Lee Janyu, also called "Tao" by my colleagues.' the aging blue-haired man introduced himself, before turning to the woman beside him. 'This is my wife, Mayumi.' He then pointed at the two women and the man on the other couch. 'That's "Daisy",' pointing at the blonde haired female, 'Babel,' the balding male, 'and "Curly"', the dark-haired female, before turning to the love seat. 'And that's Rob "Dolphin" McCoy, and his granddaughter, Alice.'

He then gestured at the four remaining children. 'These are our children, Rinchei,' the boy on the couch next to his parents, 'Jaarin,' the elder female, 'Jenrya,' the boy whose shoulders his hands were around, 'and Shiuchon,' the younger girl.

He took a deep breath before continuing. 'The Dusk project...we mentioned partly already. It is an artificial intelligence program that we, as in Dolphin, Babel, Daisy, Curly and I attempted to develop around fourteen years ago. A mentor and old friend of ours, Mizuno Gorou, whom we called "Shibumi" was rather obsessed with the concept of artificial intelligence, researching and experimenting for many years before he passed away just as he was making progress, over fifteen years ago.'

'He begged us to take up the project,' Babel continued. 'Back then, it was simply a harmless computer programme, we never imagined something like this would happen...'

'So the five of us took up the project.' Daisy picked up the sentence where her colleague had left off. 'The government had funded it, for a time, accepting that it could be rather beneficial for the human race. Discovering how and creating an artificial conscience, would have been a step away from creating and regenerating life itself. With that kind of possibility, imagine what we could do. Introduce conscience to inanimate objects, bring back the dead...the list was basically endless'

'No power can bring back the dead,' Kouji growled from his spot next to his father.

'That's true.' Curly sighed. 'Back then, we were deluded by our youth and by the possibilities presented to us. The project was nearing success, when the government, displeased by the slow project, cut our funds.'

'We continued alone,' Dolphin continued, tightening his grip on his granddaughter's shoulders. 'Using the laboratory in my basement, we were finally able to create an artificial intelligence programme. However, it somehow managed to develop independent of our technology. It grew to the point where it was becoming a danger to humankind, beginning to infect the very air we breathe in. So, we did the only thing we could at the time. Compressed the data into a package and downloaded it into a new-born baby, whose premature mind we hoped would be able to overcome the artificial conscience grafted into it.'

Janyu sighed, before speaking once again. 'Mayumi-chan gave birth to Jenrya-kun around that time, as did Dolphin's daughter in law to Alice. We couldn't face putting our own families through such a thing, so we-'

'-so you chose to condemn an innocent child's life instead?' Satomi sounded horrified, gripping her husband's hand tightly. Kousei face darkened considerably, but he remained silent, the five having already explained this at the hospital, and if anything, that previous exposure at least made it slightly easier to hear again. Kouji was silent, barely reacting.

Jenrya craned his neck to look up to his father's sorrowful expression as Shiuchon moved closer to her brother.

'Otou-san?' he asked. 'Why didn't you tell us?'

'We were all ashamed.' It was Babel who answered, wincing at the look Mayomi was giving her husband. 'Times like this make me glad I never married,' he added at an afterthought, causing the two women he was sitting between to whack him on the head. 'Hey,' he exclaimed. 'You two aren't married either.'

'Ahem.' Kousei cleared his throat rather irritably as he felt his son tense beside him, effectively steering the conversation back on track.

'Err, right.' Babel laughed awkwardly, before continuing. 'Anyway, we had hoped that Kouichi's conscience would be able to overthrow the alternate one, which we dubbed Dusk, however we had underestimated Dusk's power. Kouichi's mind had only been able to contain him for thirteen years before Dusk began to impact majorly on his own cognitive processes and personality, but it was only a few months ago when he was able to break out and temporarily override Kouichi's conscience with his own.'

'After that incident with Kouji...' Here, he looked at the said boy, '...we attempted to sedate it.' Dolphin sighed, drawing the child he held near as she shivered. 'And it worked for awhile, till he broke out again. We fear that it has now completely taken over Kouichi's personality.'

There was silence again. 'How do you know he didn't leave of his own free will?' Satomi asked softly, pushing down the shock for the time being. 'I mean, his keys are still in the drawer, and Kouichi does have a habit of forgetting his keys.'

'Perhaps,' Curly answered. 'But the attack on Alice proves that Dusk is the one in control now. And there is now no doubt that it was Dusk. The profiler in Dolphin's basement recognized the signature.'

'Wait!' Kouji exclaimed, desperation lacing his voice. 'That was last night, right? Couldn't Kouichi's conscience have taken over since then?'

Babel shook his head sadly. 'I'm afraid not kid,' he said. 'No fourteen year old could do that at this stage. I hate to say this, but it's probably too late for your brother.'

'No!' he cried, leaping up, eyes blazing with anger.

'Kouji-' his father started, before being cut off by his son.

'I need to go to Kendo practice,' he said curtly, indicating the clock. It was ten two twelve, and lessons started at midday, and on weekends such as today, went on till five with an hour lunch break in between.

Kousei nodded. 'I'll drive you. Get your stuff.'

Kouji stormed upstairs, rather unlike his cool, collected self.

'Well?' he asked, turning back, anger lacing his tone. 'What do you plan to do about this?'

The five involved face down, while the children, save Alice, blinked up at their parents, before Janyu raised his head, blue eyes burning in determination.

'We'll do our best to fix it,' he promised.

'And my son?' he demanded.

The other four exchanged glances. 'I'm afraid we can't make any promises there,' Daisy muttered sadly. 'As much as no-one wants to, sometimes there is just no choice...with the police and government on his case now...'

A door banged upstairs as her voice trailed off.

'The other problem is that we don't know exactly what Dusk is after,' Babel mused out loud. 'Sure, he went after Alice-chan first, but whether because of this project or something else, we can't be sure. Especially since the damage was ultimately superficial.'

'You can call it superficial,' Rob growled, tightening his grip on the said girl. 'Would you like finding yourself in a bath filled with your own blood, or a room splashed in it?'

'Boys,' Curly scolded, as Kouji came back down with his things. 'Take care,' she murmured as an afterthought, as Kousei stood as well, his son making his way to the front door.

When Kousei reached the door, he turned back. 'Get out of my house,' he ordered coldly. 'And do not harm a hair on either of my sons' heads, or so God help me...'

Leaving that threat hanging, he slipped through the door, locks sliding into place behind him, leaving Satomi with a slightly apologetic expression to lead them out a bit more politely.

* * *

That night, Kouji lay exhausted and alone in the bedroom, gazing sightlessly at the bed where his brother should have been asleep on.

His thoughts drifted back to the conversation with the scientists earlier that day, and the vigorous training after. It had done its job of getting rid of the pent-up anger and frustration, but the sadness and worry still persisted.

Sighing sadly, he closed his eyes, but sleep wound not come easily to him. He couldn't help but worry whether or not his brother was safe...or if he was hurting.

'Kouji...'

He sat up suddenly, eyes sightless against the darkness of the still night. What was that?

'Kouji...'

He stood abruptly, flicking the light switch, before making his way over to the window, pulling the curtains back and looking to the grounds below. Nothing...only the darkness of the night extended beyond his the bulb of light from his room, without even a sliver of the moon to shed light upon it.

'...help...'

He frowned in the lamp light. Someone was calling him, but he just couldn't see...

'Kouji...'

He started suddenly, recognising the voice. 'Kouichi?'

* * *

**Preview for the next chapter:**

_Blue eyes glanced in horror at the scene in front of him. Feeling a cold daft of air suddenly, he spun, catching movement out of the corner of his eye, but even as he followed, he realised it was futile, because whatever, or whoever, had been there, was gone._

_A shriek sounded behind him, and he turned back, seeing the crowd gathered._

_ '...my fault...' he heard someone say. '...Kouji...'_

_ 'Huh?' he his eyes darted around, looking for whoever had spoke. But everyone seemed too much in shock to have said anything. So then, who had..?_


	10. Just a Glimpse from the Corner of My Eye

**Author's Notes**

Hello again. Past halfway done now. And getting to the best part to write up too.

Just a note on the time context, this chapter takes place about a week after the last chapter, and Kouji didn't go to school throughout that whole week. And Kousei cooled down after kicking the scientists and their families out of his house (the Monster Makers from Season 3).

So let the countdown commence.

**Chapters remaining after this: **8

**Disclaimer:** You should all know by now what I own and what I don't. No need to regurgitate, even if my English teacher allowed me to.

Anyway, enjoy everyone.

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote:** "A glance from the corner of the eye is enough" - Sri Sathya Sai Baba

* * *

**Chapter 9 – Just a Glimpse from the Corner of My Eye**

He was scowling, hands crossed in front of him while waiting for the bell to ring. His friends stood with him, all of them silent, giving him the space he needed, except Takuya, who would most likely have taken drastic measures by now to get his best friend to stop moping about, however wasn't able to due to his current absence.

The other three waited patiently, knowing that although his antisocial attitude was something that they could all do without, it was a mask that he needed when he was hurting inside.

Funny how Kouichi was the only one who could cause such a drastic change in his personality.

They had known him for years, even before the twins had met up coincidently at Shibuya Station when they were eleven. He had been antisocial then too, but it seemed that finally meeting the missing part of his family had made him happier, and more friendly as well. Once the original shock for all those involved had worn off of course.

He had changed. They all had; it was, after all, the inevitability of time. But it seemed as though recent problems had reverted him back to the loner boy who had pushed away their friendship time and time again.

Izumi shifted uncomfortable, unable to help but wonder whether or not leaving him alone was the right thing to do. Out of the three present, she was the one most doubtful about their course of action. Junpei was adamant in giving him his own time, while Tomoki whole-heartedly agreed. But Izumi...she wasn't so sure. Though if Takuya was here...

'Hey guys,' he called, right on cue. 'What's up?'

Kouji barely reacted, blue eyes glaring tiredly at something unseen. He could barely settle down at nights, and when he did, he just kept waking up during the night; as a result, he hadn't gotten enough sleep, not to mention his head was having a hard time keeping up with the rollercoaster of emotions he was currently experiencing. At times like this, he found it easiest to just lock himself away...

Seeing that nobody else was moving, Izumi sidled sideways and whispered something into Takuya's right ear. He listened intently, before nodding a reply and moving forward, standing in front of the black haired boy and staring into his eyes.

Nobody moved for a moment, least of all Kouji, who still seemed to be looking for something, or someone who wasn't there.

'Sorry Kouji,' Takuya muttered, raising his arm. 'But you're going to be thanking me later.'

And then he punched him. Hard. As in, hard enough to slam his head into the wall.

'What was that for!' Kouji shouted, bringing a hand up to the injured area. 'Oww...'

Takuya shrugged. 'Face it buddy, you needed someone to knock some sense into you.'

Kouji opened his mouth, but Takuya just continued.

'Don't you think this affects us as well?' he demanded, keeping his gaze focused on the other's blue orbs which radiated a mix of pain, confusion and other unidentifiable emotions. 'We're hurting too, but you can't just lock yourself away and act like you don't care!'

Students were staring, including Junpei, Izumi and Tomoki, but Takuya ignored them. 'He needs you,' the brunette continued. 'But you're not going to help him or anyone like this!'

Silence.

'Aargh!' Takuya screamed suddenly, turning away in frustration, light tears trickling down his cheeks and leaving a salty path in its wake. 'Stop being such a jerk!'

He was about to storm away to work out his frustrations with the whole situation; current happenings were straining them as well. But he was stopped by Kouji's whispered apology.

'Huh?' he turned back.

'I'm sorry,' he repeated, mumbling slightly. 'I know you guys care...you always have. It's just...it hurts, you know?'

'Yeah...'

'But you're right. Moping around isn't going to solve anything.'

He raised his head. 'Thanks Takuya,' he said, smiling briefly, albeit a bit forced.

'You're welcome.'

'But did you have to hit so hard?'

Takuya shrugged. 'Someone had to knock some sense into you buddy.'

* * *

It was lucky he could rely on his friends, as it seemed he couldn't say the same for his classmates. Whispers and taunts followed him wherever he went, all of which he ignored, though Takuya for one seemed rather on edge. It seemed as though practically the entire student body had heard about the happenings, and most were afraid, which seemed to further spurn the bout of rumours circulating.

It didn't matter to him though; they were nothing to him, their opinions didn't matter. What mattered were his family and his friends...and those willing to help them.

The teachers at least were slightly sympathetic, with his brother's supposed disappearance; they excused his abnormal (at least to them) behaviour, as well as the work he had missed in his absence.

He was glad of that at least; he didn't need a large pile of homework straining his mind along with everything else.

But somehow he doubted his day was going to get any better.

* * *

_I hate it when I'm right,_ Kouji thought sourly, looking up as Izumi screamed from in front of him.

'Izumi?' Takuya asked. 'What's wrong?'

She pointed in front of her wordlessly, and the others moved in front, startled gasps escaping their lips as they looked at the darkened hallway.

Kouji had, at least, become so accustomed to seeing blood, that he was somewhat shocked by the absence of it. But that didn't make the horror, or fear, lessen. If anything, it intensified it.

Someone, a ninth grader he didn't recognise, nor did the others, was lying sprawled in the hallway, outside one of the science labs, whose door was swinging slightly in the non-existent wind. The horrible stench of burning flesh filled the air, and it only took a brief moment to notice the cause.

Blue eyes glanced in horror at the scene in front of him. Feeling a cold daft of air suddenly, he spun, catching movement out of the corner of his eye, but even as he followed, he realised it was futile, because whatever, or whoever, had been there, was gone.

A shriek sounded behind him, and he turned back, seeing the crowd gathered.

'...my fault...' he heard someone say. '...Kouji...'

'Huh?' he his eyes darted around, looking for whoever had spoke. But everyone seemed too much in shock to have spoken. So then, who had...

'Minamoto-kun! Why are you just standing there?'

He jumped at the sudden question, spinning around to face the rather shocked eyes of his mathematics teacher.

He shivered reflexively, before realising the coldness had faded.

'Well?' the teacher demanded.

Lowering his eyes, he stepped aside, pulling the others, which the teacher only knew by appearance, letting his sensei view the scene.

The boy's skin was peeling in parts, colourless acid burning it, the excess dripping onto the floor like water dripped from a tap. His hands and face were exceptionally blistered, and had he been conscious, he would most likely have been screaming in pain.

Although that didn't quite explain why he didn't when he was.

The teacher, shaking himself out of the shock in favour of the situation, knelt down, and careful to avoid the acid, tilted the other's head to get a better look at his face. Fingerprint marks pressed into the side, near his mouth, indicating that someone had been covering his mouth.

He turned his attention to the spilt acid next, as he heard someone near him call for an ambulance. The acid was colourless, and of high concentration, narrowing it down to only one type of acid the school supplied in such high concentration. Sulphuric acid.

* * *

He smirked, smelling the scent of fear that lingered everywhere. _How easily these humans could be scared..._

He heard a girlish scream, full of fear and horror, then gasps following it. They were scared...all of them.

He suddenly felt guilty, and an overwhelming conscience, so much so, that he missed Kouji's face turning towards him, before he looked away; it was he who was causing this fear. His brother, his friends.

'...my fault...' the words escaped his lips, but it wasn't his voice. Rather, it was the voice of the boy he possessed. 'Kouji...'

His eyes flickered between red and blue, and he backed away as the mirror image of the one he possessed turned his face towards his hiding spot. The gaze swept past as soon as it came, but the temporary lapse had caused an annoying pressure to build up in his head, even as his eye colour stabilised at its crimson red.

Cursing the bandana-wearing boy, he turned and vanished into the shadows once more.

* * *

It was amazing how much chaos could rise out of fear; how easily the normal happenings of the world could be disrupted by the spread of terror. School had been cancelled immediately following the incident, and the gang remained at Kouji's house, under threat of extreme punishment that none would try to leave the grounds. Out of all their houses, Kouji's had the most security; it was unlikely that something would be able to reach them there. But that didn't stop the constant fear.

Kouji sat on the couch with his head in his hands. 'I can't believe this is happening,' he muttered in a monotone. 'Kouichi would never hurt anyone like this...'

'That monster,' Takuya hissed with such venom in his voice that the other four stared at him in shock. 'Hurting innocent people like this!

'That professor's granddaughter,' Junpei continued his train of thought. 'The ninth-grader...hey, wasn't he the kid whose parents were killed in that car explosion a few years back?'

The others shrugged. They didn't know.

'I think so,' the elder boy continued anyway. 'His elder brother got disfigured badly by the sulphuric acid form the battery as well.'

'...and that boy was covered in it,' Izumi whispered, shaking slightly at the image it brought back.

Silence filled the room, and Kousei stared sadly at his son and friends as they simply stared at nothing. At least that discussion had told him one thing; they had been wrong about Dusk targeting his makers.

Though that offered him no comfort at all.

Sighing, he turned to the phone, dialling in a number he had yet to, till now.

* * *

Just a side note. Car batteries contain sulphuric acid (sulfuric acid for some other countries) and is flammable in contact with metal (like the battery electrodes).

* * *

**Preview of the next chapter:**

'_Not this again.' Kousei sighed, massaging his temples as he felt a headache coming on from the late stress, intensifying from the disrupted sleep. 'Kouji, there was no-one there.'_

'_No!' he cried. 'There was. I saw him there. And if you don't believe me, go check!'_

_Hoping it would quieten his son on the matter, Kousei stepped outside and carefully scrutinized the grass outside the gate where his elder son had allegedly stood that night._

_ 'Not a blade out of place,' he stated, scanning the area in question. Brown eyes behind the spectacles reswept over the green blades, in one swoop falsifying both his statement and his belief as the more thorough examination yielded some fruit._


	11. Seeing is Believing

**Author's Note**

A bit later than usual, but I kinda like this one. BTW, an indefinite amount of time has passed between the last chapter and this. And that's about all to say.

**Chapters remaining after this: **7

**Disclaimer:** You should all know by now what I own and what I don't. No need to regurgitate, even if my English teacher allowed me to.

Anyway, enjoy everyone.

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote:** "You must understand that seeing is believing, but also know that believing is seeing." - Denis Waitley

* * *

**Chapter 10 – Seeing is Believing **

'Kouji?'

The addressed boy turned his head from where he lounged on the couch with his friends, as did the said friends, as Kousei came into the room.

'What's wrong?' Kouji asked, seeing his father's expression. It was rather difficult to describe, the battle-worn, stressed and rather worried images, along with the many other emotions which graced his face. 'Did something happen?'

He sighed heavily, plopping down into an armchair. 'I'm afraid so. The Government...they've decided to take action.'

Kouji didn't gulp, but the other's did. That sounded bad. 'What sort of action Minamoto-san?' Takuya asked, seeing Kouji was too frozen to think of doing so.

He didn't say, but his look told them all they needed to know.

Eventually, he eased himself out of his seat. 'You four had best go home,' he murmured. 'Your parents are worried.'

The four looked up, only Kouji not shifting from his position.

'I'll give you all a ride,' he sighed, digging out the keys from his pocket.

* * *

He gritted his teeth as the searing pain flared up again, crimson eyes glaring dangerously at the wrought steel gates. He hated it; it was preventing him from achieving his full potential. Yet despite all, he was inexplicably drawn to it; he supposed it was the influence of the boy he possessed, whose strength and intelligence he had woefully underestimated.

He looked up to the house outside which he had found himself once again. A part of him was calling out for its occupants, or rather, one particular. No, that was wrong. The majority of him was calling for the other, for two reasons. A part of him for the burden his presence brought, while the other to eradicate it. Only the smallest part of him protested, in a futile effort to protect the other from the progressive doom.

He was now the dominant one, but it seemed as though even the recess ached for its own dominance, like a mosquito sucking as much blood as it could find.

Stabilising himself on the gate, he muttered under his breath, for the large part, to himself. _**'You've had your freedom, and now it's my turn**_.'

Though he knew he would never be truly free whole the brother lived, with chains wrought at birth tying him down.

At times such as those, he wondered whether his host had ever been truly free at all.

After all, he had already been forced to pull back once because of it, at the school...

Either way, it mattered not. Out of the three, one, perhaps two, would be gone forever by the time this ended.

After all, the imbalance would eventually become balanced again.

He had known it wouldn't last forever, for whether due to the curse of human mortality, or other factors, he would eventually be stopped, and destroyed. And he was content with that; living a half-life as he did bore no fruit for him.

But as he had watched them in the shadows, he had envied them. Envied them for the superficial endeavours they amused themselves with. Envied them for not knowing the taste of darkness and the pain of fear which they so easily misunderstood.

And so he taught them, in his own twisted way.

He could never be truly free, but revenge, at least, was firmly in his grasp.

Light suddenly exploded from the window he had been scrutinizing, and he reeled back in shock. For a moment, he stared into the glow, seeing the younger twin outlined in its luminescence, and then he retreated into the preferred shadows, not hearing the soft metallic sound as something glimmering fell to the floor.

* * *

Kouji stared dully out of his bedroom window, taking in the green lawn, and amongst it, the steel wrought gate which encased the house like a prison. It was secure, but rather confining at the same time; it didn't really make a difference now though, with him, like his brother before him, spending a majority of his time within the sanctuary of his bedroom.

The light was on, glaringly bright, but driving away the darkness all the same. While his brother preferred the darkness of the night, he preferred the light of the day, and the lights remained on through the nights, indicating that he at least had no intention sleeping.

Most remained in their houses after dark, trusting the sanctuary of their homes to the open streets. He failed to see the logic of that though, as all the attacks had taken place within confined areas; the school and various homes...

It was always on the news, the attacks, and the fear that rapidly spread across the district. At the moment, it was only enclosed within it, but the adults feared that it was only a matter of time before it spread out to the country, and then the world.

The world didn't matter to him. His brother did.

He had been horrified at the news his father had given him earlier that day, but as he had said, it was out of their hands now.

He gazed out the window miserably, then started.

_No...it can't be...can it?_

He leapt off his bed and yanked the curtains apart. It was rather dark outside, only the small sliver of the moon piercing the blackness of the night, yet there was light enough for him to be able to see the figure who stood just beyond the gates.

_Kouichi?_

The figure looked up as the light from the moon lit the dark night like a homing beacon. There was no doubt in Kouji's eyes that his brother, or whoever was in control, could see him. For a moment, nothing happened, looking but neither quite meeting the other's gaze, but the trance-like state was broken with a blink.

And then he was gone again.

* * *

'Otou-san?'

Minamoto Kousei was aroused far earlier than normal by his son's rather insistent voice and shaking.

'What is it Kouji?' he asked irritably, rubbing sleep from his eyes and sitting up, grabbing his glasses and adorning them before taking in Kouji's wild expression.

'Kouichi,' the boy gasped. 'He was just here, he-'

Kousei spared a small glance to the partially opened curtains, not that he had been expecting to see anything. This was, after all, the fourth or fifth time his son had mentioned seeing his brother, yet no-one else had, and the persistence was really pushing his rocky patience. Now, he was starting to fear for this son's health as well; after all, it hadn't been two months

'Not this again.' Kousei sighed, massaging his temples as he felt a headache coming on from the late stress, intensifying from the disrupted sleep. 'Kouji, there was no-one there.'

'No!' he cried. 'There was. I saw him there. And if you don't believe me, go check!'

Hoping it would quieten his son on the matter, Kousei stepped outside and carefully scrutinized the grass outside the gate where his elder son had allegedly stood that night.

'Not a blade out of place,' he stated, scanning the area in question. Brown eyes behind the spectacles reswept over the green blades, in one swoop falsifying both his statement and his belief as the more thorough examination yielded some fruit.

A silver key chain, broken off, lay tangled in the green blades, and attached to it, the yin-yang symbol, fashioned from silver.

And beside it, flattened grass, indicating that someone had stood there not long before.

* * *

**Preview for next chapter:**

_Fingers twitched at his neck, tightening their grip around the frozen boy. Blue eyes simply stared at the crimson red, those heartless, blood-sodden orbs which had once been a sparkling crystalline blue._

_ 'Ni-san,' he choked, as his air passages were restricted, gasping desperately for whatever air he could intake. 'Please-'_

_The hand suddenly fell away, and the boy went stumbling back, head snapping up to meet an identical set of blue._

_ 'Kouichi?'_


	12. Piercing it all Together

**Author's Notes**

Here comes the explanation as to Dusk's targets. Finally, though I'm slightly surprised nobody guesses. Though I probably didn't give enough info to be able to I guess.

BTW, Yamaki and Reika (Riley in the dub) are engaged in this fic. That's not really relevant except that's the reason they call each other by their first names without attaching any honorfics.

This chapter looked way better in my head.

**Chapters remaining after this: **6

**Disclaimer:** You should all know by now what I own and what I don't. No need to regurgitate, even if my English teacher allowed me to.

Anyway, enjoy everyone.

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote:** "It's just been a matter of finding where the pieces went, like putting a puzzle together."- Michael Quinn

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Piecing it all Together**

'Sir, we have a lead.'

The weary government official turned his head towards the door, seeing one of his subordinates, a pretty woman in her late twenties, standing there, a manila folder in her hands.

'You do?' he asked, surprised. This recent problem, a backfired science project which resulted in an artificial intelligence programme taking over a child's conscience and using his body as a base to carry out its own intentions. The main problem was, however, that these intentions were virtually unreadable, and while fear spread in the district, neither police, government officials or the scientists attempting to rectify their wrongs were able to find any correlation between one attack an another, ranging from a granddaughter of one of the said scientists to a homeless kid from the local shelter, the most recent.

'You doubt me Mitsuo?' the subordinate laughed, handing Yamaki Mitsuo the file.

Raising a blonde eyebrow behind his sunglasses, he put his lighter down before taking the file and glancing through it.

'Reika?'

'Hai?'

'You are just as smart as you are beautiful, you know that?'

Otori Reika laughed. 'Of course, but aren't you the one who always tells me not to flirt on the job?'

'I'm on my break.'

'Oh. Besides, it was just a matter of putting the pieces in the right places.'

* * *

'Yes...okay...got it...thank you.'

Kousei sighed tiredly, hanging up the phone before turning to his son on the couch, who was playing with the broken keychain, one of its links loose, so it seemed to have slipped off the keys (which were still in their place in the drawer) the last time Kouichi replaced them after use.

If anything, it validated Kouji's claim of seeing his brother, as well as giving the said boy hope that his brother was, indeed, somewhere close by. As a result, he was slightly more perky and slightly less moody than he had been the previous days, and had even managed to sleep undisturbed till late in the afternoon.

He smiled slightly. _Well this news should make him happier_, he thought, before going over to his younger son. Sometimes, especially seeing the hurt on the twins faces at different times, he regretted splitting the children up. Sometimes, he thought if he would have been willing to live through a marriage without love for his children, remembering their smiles and their laughter as they played their never-ending games together.

But he supposed he, no they, had been too selfish. After all, Tomoko had wanted a divorce just as bad. And unfortunately, the Japanese law split the twins without contact. In fact, had they not bumped into each other at the station, he would probably never seen his sons together again.

'Kouji?'

'Yeah.' The said boy looked up, hand wrapping around the silver symbol.

'They've found a lead.'

Kouji jumped off the couch in his excitement. 'Kouichi?'

'No, Dusk.'

He deflated slightly, before brushing it off. After all, finding Dusk meant finding Kouichi. 'What did they say?' he all but demanded.

The father shrugged rather helplessly. 'Not much,' he said. 'Some government officials are coming over to debrief us.'

'When?'

'In a while.'

Kouji's shoulders slumped, and a cute pout graced his lips, making his resemblance to the older twin rather apparent, after all, that expression was one Kouichi wore more often than the younger twin, especially when he wanted something from the said twin.

He plopped back onto the couch again. Time didn't matter that much now. If it was for Kouichi ni-san, he could wait as long as he had to.

* * *

He had been waiting anxiously for the doorbell, which is why he ran for the door the second he heard it, rather contradictory with his usual think before you act policy. Although he was uncharacteristically surprised to find his friends huddled behind the pair of adults at the door.

Kousei came up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder and steering him away as he invited the others inside and into the living room, the adults taking the couches while the kids made themselves comfortable on the floor, Kouji still looking rather bewilderedly at them.

'You lot are like attached at the hip,' Satomi chuckled at her stepson's expression, coming into the room with cups aligned on a tray. 'So I called them for you. They deserve to know as much as you do.'

He looked up at her. 'Thanks,' he whispered.

'You're welcome.' She smiled at him, before setting the tray down and sitting next to her husband as they all prepared to listen.

'We believe we've picked up a pattern with Dusk's attacks,' Otori Reika explained, getting straight to the point. 'The girl, Alice McCoy, her mother died in childbirth while her father committed suicide a few months later. As a matter of fact, he sliced open his veins and arteries and bled to death. She was found with similar cut marks on her body, only not as deep. The boy from your school...' here, she looked at the five children on the floor, before continuing. 'His parents died in a car crash when the acid from the battery spilt over them and then caught aflame. His elder brother was disfigured, if only because the fire hadn't reached him. He was found with sulphuric acid on him, and a box of matches were also found on the floor nearby. The homeless child found yesterday, his parents were strangulated, and he was found with a barb wire tight around his neck. Not to mention the others.'

'So you think he's recreating the parent's deaths with their surviving children?' Satomi looked horrified, her husband drawing her close even as his face showed the same shock. In fact, save the pair that had come, everybody else in the room sprouted an identical expression.

'So he's playing a sick game,' Junpei muttered, everyone else seeming too shell-shocked to comment. 'Poor Kouichi...he hates having blood on his hands...'

'If it's any comfort,' Yamaki began gruffly, not being one to get emotional, especially when other people's lives and sanity; he was, after all, one who believed in the sacrifice of one individual for the greater good, as did much of the government. 'We believe we've pinpointed his next target.'

'Since he's been stuck in Kouichi's conscience for fourteen years,' Reika continued, a tad more kindly than her cohort. 'His knowledge of all this will be limited to whatever Kouichi knows. As such, there is only one other child that may have come across his attention whose parents have died by unnatural means. I believe the father overdosed on cocaine. It's not too well known, but Kouichi may have known, the two were in the same class quite a few years back, according to the school records we pulled up. He's quite perceptive, as well as in tune to others feelings, so there is a possibility, and a very strong one at that, that Dusk knows too.'

She proceeded to explain, the others paying close attention, sans Kouji who was looking out the window. He heard the location; it was actually quite close to where they were now.

'Ni-san...' he whispered quietly, before standing up. Takuya was the only one who noticed as he left the house.

* * *

He found himself standing on the outskirts of a shabby apartment complex at the edge of the district, some ten minutes away from his own home. It was a small, dirty corner of the district, one like all other places had, tucked away generally from public eye. A place generally filled with dark alleyways in which who knew what happened.

His keen ears suddenly picked up a choking sound, and he peered into a passage between two houses, making sure to keep out of sight, even more so after seeing who was there.

One was a boy who he didn't recognise, lying unconscious by the wall, a half-empty pill bottle beside him. The other...

The other turned suddenly, laughing lightly as he turned towards the corner the other twin was hidden. _**'Why don't you come out little boy?'**_ he taunted. _**'I thought you'd be happy to see your brother again**_.'

Defeated, Kouji emerged, entering the little passageway, which he realised when thinking back, was a major blunder on his part, as the thin hands were suddenly grasping his neck in a tight and secure hold before he could react, partially because the small space had greatly reduced his movement, and partly because that _thing_ in his brother's body was the one doing this.

_**'You've caused too much interference,'**_ he snarled, glaring at the other boy as he tried to pry his fingers around his neck loose, gasping for breath which he couldn't really afford to waste by speaking. He continued his tirade, even as a single tear fell down his cheek. _**'If it weren't for you, I'd have been in control sooner. If it weren't for your little light burning away my darkness...but it doesn't matter, because you won't interfere again.'**_

Fingers twitched at his neck, tightening their grip around the frozen boy. Blue eyes simply stared at the crimson red, those heartless, blood-sodden orbs which had once been a sparkling crystalline blue.

'Ni-san,' he choked, as his air passages were restricted, gasping desperately for whatever air he could intake. 'Please-'

He was begging. Begging whatever heavenly powers that would listen to help him, help his brother. Because although he would gladly die for his brother, he didn't think either would be able to bear it if he was killed by him. And it was only for his brother that he would even think of begging, think of dropping below what his pride would allow...

'Kouichi...' he pleaded desperately as his vision swam.

The hand suddenly fell away, and the boy went stumbling back, head snapping up to meet an identical set of blue.

'Kouichi?'

Kouichi turned and ran, Kouji taking a few precious moments to regain his bearings as other sets of pounding footsteps neared.

Shell-shocked, he was barely able to splutter out:

'Ni-san, wa-'

Too late. He was gone.

Voices, shouts, scolding and orders, echoed around him along with movement, but to him it was as though everything else happened on the other side of the window. His brother had been there, right in front of him, and himself, but he had let him slip through his fingers.

A hand descended on his shoulders. A familiar hand.

'Kouji? You okay?'

Takuya...

'He's gone,' he whispered blankly, looking to where the elder twin had disappeared. 'He was right here...and now he's gone.'

Takuya didn't ask what he meant. He didn't have to, even as the rest of their friends came up to the pair. 'You'll find him again, or else he will.'

'Right,' Tomoki's innocent voice cheered from somewhere in the huddled group. 'Nothing will keep you two apart forever.'

Well, that was a very simple way of putting it. Unfortunately, it didn't even begin to skim the edges.

* * *

**NOTE:** If you're wondering about that last scene (aka. the one between Kouji and Dusk/Kouichi) you'll get the other side of the story next chapter, with a bit more explanation on Dusk/Kouichi's part. And at the moment, Kouichi is the one in control (not full though). Though he obviously didn't react too well to the fact that he was about to kill his brother.

* * *

_**Preview for Next Chapter:**_

'_Kimura Kouichi no longer exists. All he is now is a memory which will simply fade away with time.'_

'_That's not true.' Angrily, he stood. 'He's my brother! My twin! He's still out there. I saw him. And I won't let any of you, or anyone else, hurt him.'_

'_Was,' the official corrected._

'_No.' His cold blue eyes glared at the other's shaded ones. 'Is.'_


	13. Memories that will Fade Away

**Author's Notes**

Hello again. Here's the next chapter. As for the confusion with the previous explanation, remember that no-one in the story really knows the full story, not even Dusk or Kouichi for that matter. So you can't expect a full explanation with a character explaining. Just thought I'd clear that up.

BTW, updates may slow down, because this is the stage where we get flooded with IA and trial exams. But I'll try to update as regularly as I can.

**Chapters remaining after this: **5

**Disclaimer:** You should all know by now what I own and what I don't. No need to regurgitate, even if my English teacher allowed me to.

Anyway, enjoy everyone.

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote:** "As a rule, memories fade with the passage of time" - Richard Wright

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Memories that will Fade Away**

He was shaking. But he tried to the best of his ability to quell it. Carefully hidden from both view and any form of detection under a certain 'blind-spot' out of the range of police radar or satellite coverage, he fought a battle. It warm enough as not to introduce any change in terms of thermal energy which could then be picked up by thermal satellite imagery or heat sensors at a closer range, and so dark that not even the tiniest speck of light was visible, meaning that even the advanced Japanese technology would not be able to attain a satellite image of the area in which he was concealed. The small movements were still a problem though; detectable, though not easily so.

He was fighting, but it was not your usual heart vs. mind debate. That was pointless, as he had already learned. He knew that his momentary 'full' awakening, as he felt as though he passed the time possessed in half a dream, would soon end, and he would once again be forced into a state where his greatest effort only incited the smallest alteration of thought and behaviour.

During the development stage, it seemed as though the two consciences had at one point converged and overlapped, like a Venn diagram, where two circles overlapped at the centre but marginally remaining separate, yet connected to one another. The strange interrelation allowed to some extent a merging of ideas, thus Kouichi found, that even in his dreamlike state, he was able to some extent both observe and influence his outer behaviour, and he could only assume the same applied for the other. He was thus able to manipulate the other's own ideas and behaviour to leave a relatively intangible trail that someone could follow up, while knowing that the twisted trail would be enough to slow them down enough to hopefully find a more permanent solution. Or otherwise, any sort of solution.

He was scared, and he wasn't as foolish to deny that. But he also knew that fear without rationale was just as foolish. He knew his limitations, and when it came to a battle of strength of any kind, he was at a rather large disadvantage. Thus he fought most his battles a more roundabout way, sometimes in such ways that it is undetectable till it has, essentially passed beyond the point of no return.

As he was doing with this one, with what little he was able to shield from the overwhelming majority. There was, after all, a small barrier between the two, enough to be able to differentiate...

He wasn't in full control, and he knew it. All that existed then was the last few minutes, as if he had awoken during the moment he found his hands around someone's neck, someone, who was really important to him, or so his heart said, and so he believed. Someone, he could not allow to die, not even by his own hands. Someone who his heart called to. That itself meant that he had some influence, most of the time small enough to go unnoticed. Enough so that he had managed to prevent death, craning its head out of the raging darkness, by a few strands of hair, figuratively speaking of course.

Tears still stained his face, the salty treks leaving marks on his skin, but he held himself as still as possible even as he felt the overwhelming darkness that surrounded him consume him. He didn't fight it; instead focusing the strength that remained on shielding the very depths of his conscience. The pieces were not in his hand, but he, behind the scenes, nudged them beyond the other's sight.

Still maintaining hope that his loved ones would remain safe. Even while the small sliver which remained free from the dominant conscience could not put a face to the determination.

* * *

Red eyes blinked open, though invisible in the pure darkness that surrounded him. He blinked again at the sudden change of pace; after all, hadn't he just had his hands around the throat of his prey, a few seconds away from taking his life.

He shrugged it off though; time was after all irrelevant after spending countless moons in the captivity of a young mind, even one as rich in darkness as this. It didn't matter; a missed opportunity could easily be replaced by another. Perhaps one better suited.

After all, the pieces were set. All that remained was the last move, the one that would checkmate either king.

* * *

None of them really slept that night., and morning still found them spread out in the spacious living room, a bandage around Kouji's neck covering the bruises that were developing. During that time, many things had occurred. People notified, mainly government and the regional police, Kouji was, once again, told off, this time by his parents, as well as the other four, only by phone, and the government had dispatched orders to its official, as well as to the police force.

Orders that no-one really approved off.

But orders were orders, and Yamaki for one, could see their standpoint. After all, peoples' lives were at risk, and the risk had to be eliminated. No matter what the cost.

The original algorithm had luckily been salvaged, and thus, with a few tweaks to modern technology, made real by access to government equipment which the, as in the initiators of the project, had no access to while their project remained secret, it was possible to modify the code of the alternate conscience in order to cause it to automatically denature, cutting the ties that engraved it, and ultimately self destruct without directly harming the natural conscience.

There was, however, the matter of neutralising the threat first. And with two consciences in a single body, even the strongest tranquiliser would be ineffective, more likely doing more harm than good in any case. And they could hardly expect a lack of resistance.

There was only one other option.

But no-body would stand for an innocent child being killed because of it. Though it was hard, especially for one who didn't know him, to see the sweet, shy boy under the compressed fear.

'Face the reality kid,' Yamaki snapped, fed up with Kouji's insistence. 'Kimura Kouichi no longer exists. All he is now is a memory which will simply fade away with time.'

'That's not true.' Angrily, he stood. 'He's my brother! My twin! He's still out there. I saw him. And I won't let any of you, or anyone else, hurt him.'

'Was,' the official corrected.

'No.' His cold blue eyes glared at the other. 'Is.'

'You would risk the lives of so many other people for one person?'

'I don't give a damn about other people. I care about my brother, and my family, and friends. And I know he's still out there.' He crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly.

'How can you be so sure?'

Kouji huffed and turned away, so Takuya answered for him. 'If Dusk wanted to kill Kouji,' he winced at that, but continued. 'He would have done so. Why would anything he said make a difference? Unless Kouichi still had some control, enough so that he didn't end up hurting his brother.'

'Not only that,' the elder brunette picked up where the goggle-wearing one left off. 'But every victim managed to escape death. I don't think that's a coincidence, everything was so precise. However many other things Kouichi is, he is not a killer.'

'How can we sit and talk like this so calmly?' the blonde female shrieked.

'Because we're a family,' Takuya answered without hesitation. 'Including Kouichi, and we look out for each other.'

The other four agreed. 'Right.'

Yamaki growled, irritated, only placated slightly by the touch of his fiancé. 'You children are playing a dangerous game,' he scowled.

Those who heard visibly ignored him, though they all registered, and accepted, what he said. But if it was for a friend who they considered family, even those not related by blood, then it had to be worth it.

* * *

**NOTE:** (1) some radars pick up movement, some pick up thermal energy (colour coded in terms of the amount of heat they produce), and some are like microscopes. In each case, they have their limitations and ways around them. For example, microscopes can't pick up much in the dark, and thermal scans won't pick up anything if everything is relatively the same temperature. In addition, every piece of equipment would have a blind spot, and being developed from a pretty advanced system, Dusk would know about all that, even if Kouichi doesn't. Kouichi's knowledge is however important in that he knows the layout of the district, so Dusk sort of combined their knowledge to find a hiding place. Dunno if that's possible in real life or not, but just assume it is for this.

(2) The first segment, ie. The Kouichi one, Kouichi is then not in full control, therefore it is sort of a here and now stage, where the past, in terms of memory, does not exist. However, his determination to protect others is strong enough to be maintained even when he is unable to associate that with anything physical. And he is smart enough to know that fighting a battle of wills will do nothing except give someone a headache while giving the other a free reign, so instead he carefully, in the dark recedes of his mind (ie that small sliver of the circle where his conscience does not overlap with Dusk's), manipulates Dusk's actions to 1- prevent anyone from dying, and 2-leave enough clues so they know where to find him.

(3) the second segment, ie. The Dusk one, the same thing happens which happened to Kouichi earlier, as in he is unable to recall the time in which the other was in control. So Dusk is, for the time being, oblivious. BTW, the small sliver of Dusk is in control as well as part of the joint. Towards the end of this story, you'll notice a change, in that it is purely the centre in control, a conscience derived from the merging of Kouichi's and Dusk's.

Imagine it like a Venn diagram. Two circles, most of which overlap one another, with two small crescents, one from each circle, which remain outside the overlapping part. For the most part of Kouichi's life, it was the Kouichi circle which was in charge, with the small independent section as well as the larger overlapping section, while the Dusk section was doing what Kouichi is doing now, ie. Influencing things behind the scenes so that Kouichi is unaware. Now, it is the other way around. Sort of like a balance, where one always outweighs the other. Eventually, the two will reach an equilibrium (for chemistry students) whether neither one is in charge, and neither have any influence, and with both Kouichi's determination to protect his loved ones and Dusk's determination to execute revenge, it comes to a point when either way, he both wins and loses.

Some of that was a bit early, but it was the best place to explain.

A lot of chess references, in this chapter and next. Hence why they are playing in the preview. Only because I love playing.

* * *

_**Preview for Next Chapter:**_

'_He's waiting...'_

'_Why?'_

'_I suppose all the pieces are in place,' Junpei muttered, nudging a bishop into position. 'Maybe he thinks whatever he wants will come to him.'_

'_Probably will,' Izumi sighed, watching the game. 'Dusk knows Kouji will stop at nothing to get his brother back, but this waiting...it's torture.'_

'_How can he?' Takuya, surprisingly, pointed out. 'It's not like we, or anyone else for that matter, know where he is. If he wanted someone to find him, he'd have left a trail of breadcrumbs, like Hansel and Gretal. Speaking of...' he knocked down the elder boy's defenceless rook with a pawn, leaving his queen to attack the opposing king. 'Check mate.'_

'_Huh?'_


	14. Linkage by Blood

**Author's Note**

Hello again everyone.

Next chapter's my favourite, where the main action is. This chapter is just setting things up. On the bright side, it is longer than last chapter.

BTW, I get the feeling that Takuya's pretty smart, but most of the time doesn't act like it. Same with all the leaders, Taichi/Tai, Davis/Daisuke and Takato (haven't seen Savers yet so I don't know if Marcus is the same way).

And updates will now be every Thursday till this story is completed. The rest has already been written; it's just a matter of posting it up.

**Chapters remaining after this: **4

**Disclaimer:** You should all know by now what I own and what I don't.

Anyway, enjoy everyone, and let me know what you think. Pretty please...(gives irresistible puppy dog eyes)

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote:** "We are linked by blood, and blood is memory without language." – Joyce Carol Oates

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Linkage by Blood**

'Want to play?' Junpei asked, holding out a fist full of pawns, a mix of black and white, under Kouji's nose.

'No thanks.'

Izumi came to sit beside him as Takuya, surprisingly, agreed to play.

'You'll lose,' Junpei warned.

Takuya raised a cocky eyebrow. 'Oh, will I?'

'Are you sure you don't want to?' the blonde asked gently. 'There's nothing you can do now, and you need to clear your mind.'

'I'll watch,' he muttered without much emotion. 'Chess isn't my forte.'

He didn't elaborate, but they all knew where he was going. They were all familiar with the elder twin's skill at the game. However, the other four were not aware that he had also trained Takuya when the two hung out in the others' absence, and thus the brunette wasn't as much a pushover as the others thought. On the contrary, he could give his coach a run for his money.

The game went underway, with Kouji, Izumi and Tomoki observing while the adults carried on with their own activities out of sight and hearing of the kids. The two from the government had left, presumably back to their own quarters, while Kousei had been informed by phone that the scientists were working on modifying the original algorithm under government surveillance.

And that left the four teens and one preteen with nothing much to do save mope...or occupy oneself with a game of chess, which seemed the only indoor game in the house, and converse, as such games, especially with two able players, tended to last quite awhile.

So it was sort of inevitable that throughout the game in progress, the conversation eventually turned back to the very topic they were trying to avoid.

'I don't get it,' Izumi muttered, curled up on the couch beside the younger twin. 'Why is this happening? Why are innocent people being hurt because of the mistakes of others? How is that fair?'

'It's not,' Junpei replied softly, scrutinising the board carefully, before pushing his queen across the board and swiping Takuya's knight. 'But I guess that's just how real life is. Nothing like that glamour we see on TV or read about in books...'

'Yeah,' Tomoki muttered dejectedly. 'I never would have imagined that. I guess I never really appreciated what Okaa-san and Otou-san and were trying to do in protecting me. But I think Ni-san was right. We won't remain ignorant forever.'

Kouji just grunted an affirmative, showing that he was, at least, paying half a mind to the conversation, his eyes straying from the board to the scattered pieces to the outside world through the open blinds.

'I'm glad Shinya's at camp,' Takuya murmured, contemplating the board. 'He at least isn't caught up in this.'

'Yeah, Ni-san too,' Tomoki agreed. 'He went as a counsellor. But what happens now. How many more people are going to get hurt?'

'Who knows,' Izumi sighed. 'A computer programme is predicable, but a human adds in the unprecedented factor.'

'He's waiting...' Takuya said vaguely, moving a pawn forward.

'Why?'

'I suppose all the pieces are in place,' Junpei muttered, nudging a bishop into position. 'Maybe he thinks whatever he wants will come to him.'

'Probably will,' Izumi sighed, watching the game. 'Dusk knows Kouji will stop at nothing to get his brother back, but this waiting...it's torture.'

'How can he?' Takuya, surprisingly, pointed out. 'It's not like we, or anyone else for that matter, know where he is. If he wanted someone to find him, he'd have left a trail of breadcrumbs, like Hansel and Gretal. Speaking of...' he knocked down the elder boy's defenceless rook with a pawn, leaving his queen to attack the opposing king. 'Check mate.'

'Huh?'The other four gaped at the board, but none more so than Junpei who was frantically searching for a non-existent exit route for his king.

'Well,' he eventually sighed dramatically, leaning back. 'Got to hand it to you Taki, you've got me well and truly beat.'

'Coming from the one who said I'd lose?' he teased, attempting to lighten the mood.

Junpei cracked a grin, as did Tomoki, but the two on the couch did not, Kouji's eyes searching his best friend's face for any explanation. The brunette, noticing this, proceeded to make explicit his viewpoint.

'Think about it,' he said. 'He's doing all this, and despite what that lady said, it doesn't really that much sense on its own. If it was Dusk, he would have killed them. Why let them live? But at the same time, if it was Kouichi, why do it in the first place? You said,' he looked at Kouji, 'that those scientists said that it was like two consciences in the same body, but even if one was more in control than the other, the other would still have some influence. So I think Kouichi is manipulating Dusk's plan enough so no-one dies, and also so that this can somehow be put an end to.'

The others simply stared. 'What?' he asked.

'You know Takuya,' Izumi said, shaking her head. 'That's about the smartest thing I've ever hear you say.

'Hey!' he exclaimed. 'I can be smart when I want to be.' He turned to Junpei. 'Wanna play again?'

'Not till my bruised pride heals.'

Silence met his remark, so he chose to simply let it go. They sat in silence for a while after that, Junpei fiddling around with his captured king, twirling the piece around his index finger while Takuya shifted slightly uncomfortably under Kouji's gaze.

'You really believe that?' he whispered finally, when it looked as though Takuya was going to crack, his blue eyes shining slightly with both tears and the light that shown through the exposed window.

'Course I do,' he replied, with as much cheerfulness that he could muster up.

'Thanks.'

'No problem.'

* * *

'Hey, didn't we have homework to do?' Izumi, quite suddenly, exclaimed, once the silence was pressed on them once more.

The others gave her an odd look. 'You're thinking of homework at a time like this?' Takuya asked incredulously.

'Actually,' she flushed a bit. 'I have a major assignment. I was meant to do it a while ago, and it is due in tomorrow, but with everything...and Shinoda-sensei's really strict. Nothing short of a coma would excuse us from it.'

'Shinoda-sensei?' Kouji looked up. 'Comparative religions?'

'Yeah,' she looked at him curiously. 'How'd you know?'

'Ni-san mentioned it,' he replied, looking at his lap. 'Something about a research assignment on Christian funeral services. Left it on his desk too, instead of filing it.'

'A funeral?' Tomoki wondered aloud, though it didn't seem to be in relevance to the conversation. On the contrary, his attention was on the streets.

'Yeah,' she sighed. 'They have an interesting saying, "earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust," in other words, everything goes back to its origins. That's why they don't cremate the bodies of their dead, like we do, instead burying them, in a sense returning them to the soil from which they originated.'

'There's a funeral fire,' Tomoki said following her explanation, pointing outside where the small gathering of black could be seen, and behind them, the rising smoke of a funeral fire. The other's looked too, watching the smoke fade into the air.

'Dusk...' Takuya hissed.

'Not necessarily,' Junpei contradicted. 'It's not really fair to blame everything on him.

While Takuya stared agape, Izumi interrupted. 'That doesn't really matter right now. Look.'

The two looked to where she had gestured, at the slightly pale Kouji beside her. No doubt the fire reminded him of his mother, his birth-mother's funeral.

The thought had barely passed through their minds when Takuya unexpectedly leapt up, accidently scattering the pieces remaining of the chess board in his excitement.

'I know,' he all but yelled. 'The graveyard.'

The others gave him odd looks. 'That would be one of your more ridiculous statements,' Izumi stated flatly.

'Why not?' he challenged. 'There's a blind spot towards the edges, as good a hiding place as any, and didn't this all start when Tomoko-san died?'

'You know how tactless you sounded right then?'

'Tactless or no, there's a point. Didn't Kouichi start having nightmares when he realised his mother's health was going downhill. Didn't those nightmares get worse with her health? Didn't he almost completely lose it after she died?'

'Takuya...' she sighed exasperatedly, before turning to see how the younger twin was taking it. Surprisingly well, it turned out, because he was actually considering the words of his best friend.

'There's some truth in that,' he admitted, his mind dead set on saving his brother, so much so that it was able to diminish the grief of his mother's passing. 'He used to dream about darkness: fear, loneliness...then nothing. And it used to scare him like nothing else, even when he pretended it didn't...but how do you know there's a blind spot?'

'From Otou-san.' He shrugged. 'He works on surveillance. Anyway, it's worth a shot, isn't it?'

He smiled at the other. Not smirked, but genuinely smiled. 'Definitely.'

'You two are crazy,' Izumi sighed, but when Tomoki eagerly followed suit as the two stood, she relented. 'Fine. It can't do any more harm anyway.'

'And don't even think of leaving me behind,' Junpei quickly slipped the black and white pieces into their compartment before standing as well. 'All for one and one for all, despite how corny that sounds. Right?'

Izumi smiled. 'That's right.'

And with that, the five ran out the door, ignoring the adults who had just realised, and for the cemetery, or more specifically, to what originally triggered the cascade of events that lead them to this specific moment. The grave of Kimura Tomoko.

* * *

_**Preview for the next chapter:**_

'_You would sacrifice one child for the fate of the human race, who currently is simply an obstacle preventing you all from being free of me and me from achieving my full potential? Though you will never truly be free. I am content with the freedom I have tasted and the revenge I have delivered in the fear that grips your hearts. But you humans, despite the emotion you call "compassion", you will not be content till the threat is eliminated forever, regardless of the cost.'_


	15. Death, the Liberator

**Author's Notes**

(Inward sigh) This title is like a dead giveaway. But I couldn't think of anything better. Though I like this chapter personally. Although I still think it sounded better in my head.

And Dusk/Kouichi's sort of messed up, what with the merging personality, the tinkering of the brain and all the emotions, so don't expect everything he says or does to make perfect sense. Though I personally think it makes sense enough. But apparently I have a weird way of thinking, though I never know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult.

And if you want try and kill me after this chapter, feel free. Just a message from a certain friend: anyone who uses a machine gun will have their head crushed with a bulldozer.

Though I tell her not to be violent; unfortunately, she doesn't listen. So in other words, stay away from machine guns.

So if you like, dislike or whatever, please read and review.

And on a side note, government corruption is not explored in this fic. If you want to know my take on it, see **Yami no Tenshi, Hikari no Akuma** for that. Though it's still in the premature stages. But that's the main focus. In this story, it's not, so I didn't elaborate too much.

**Chapters remaining after this: **3

**Disclaimer:** I own what I do, and what I don't, I don't. Don't need to specify.

Anyway, enjoy everyone.

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote:** "Death is the liberator of him whom freedom cannot release"- Charles Caleb Colton

* * *

**Chapter 14 – Death, the Liberator**

The boy fingered the inscription on the grave carefully. You couldn't really call him Kimura Kouichi; after all, he didn't have red eyes, nor a killer instinct. But from the shining eyes, you couldn't really call him Dusk either. After all, despite his intelligence, he was an assimilated computer programme, and data has no emotion save what has been programmed into it.

And sadness was most certainly not one of those.

But he was sad, for some inexplicable reason. He was sad for the woman he had sent to her death in such a way that it completely twisted her child, the one whose body he majorly controlled. And he was sad for what he had put him through, what he had put the other children through.

The adults...not so much. Most of them deserved the punishment they received in his enactment of revenge. But the children, they were innocent...and something had touched him, and in a sense humbled him.

He was, in a way, content with what he had done. Despite his sadness, he felt no regret. Other emotions he felt, but regret was one he was incapable for. Sadness, yes. Guilt, anguish, fear...perhaps. After all, his host had been capable of it. But regret was one neither was capable of. After all, Kouichi firmly believed that every event in a person's life was predetermined, and the illusion of free will stemmed from the lack of knowledge of the future. Thus, regret was simply a wasted effort.

It was strange...he was not Dusk, but he was not Kouichi either. It was if the two personalities had merged, with neither in full control. The two extremes balanced, though not wholly so, as it seemed Dusk still maintained the slight upper hand.

More than slight, as the crimson eyes remained just that.

Though now there was life in eyes once filled with death.

And the bloodthirsty will was gone.

He couldn't really explain it; he doubted anyone could. But his will had changed.

But he was still trapped. They both were. And there was really only one way to send them both free.

After all, _he_ was never meant to have existed.

He heard pounding footsteps approach him, as well as the wails of sirens in the distance.

He was glad. Not only partly, but wholly.

It was time this ended.

* * *

The five were out of breath by the time they reached the far end of the cemetery, following Takuya's and Kouji's combined directions. It had turned out that Tomoko's grave had conveniently been placed towards the back end, rather close to the blindspot, though not so close that he could easily vanish into it without being seen.

Or out of it, as it led to a dead end.

They could see him, fingering a grave, one Kouji, simply by its location, was able to recognise as his birthmother's.

The sound of their footsteps alerted the other to their presence, and he turned to greet them with a smile, so unlike the sweet Kouichi they knew, but at the same time so much like the mocking smile of the alternate conscience they had come to detest.

They all could see that this was not the same one who had both killed and tried and failed to. The one who had played a twisted, psychological game and hurt them all, not to mention countless other people. But in a way he was.

Something had changed.

'Kouichi?' the younger twin asked hesitantly.

The other shrugged. _**'In a way,'**_ he replied vaguely. _**'And in a way not.'**_

'Meaning?' Takuya, asked with far less restraint, allowing the heated emotion to enter his voice.

Another shrug. _**'I don't know.'**_

The five blinked at one another, keeping their distance from the monster that inhabited their friend's body.

Or maybe they were wrong in calling him a monster. Just something about the way he looked made them think of him more like a lost child than a wayward computer programme. Lost in the sense of a lack of defining purpose. A lack of the will that had previously always shone in those eyes, whether blue or red.

And it was that that made the slight anger quell in the others, the loss of will making it possible, and even probable, that they could still save their friend, as he had done them.

After all, despite their best efforts, it had been Kouichi that had defrosted his brother's heart, made him happier and more easygoing. And it had been Kouichi who had, albeit coincidently, stumbled upon a group of bullies hassling youngest, including Tomoki, and put an end to it; how, they, till this day, are unaware of. It had been Kouichi who was always willing to listen whenever Izumi needed to get something off her chest, or when she needed a trusted confiner. It was Kouichi who kept a leash on the reckless gogglehead while the younger twin mostly wound up getting him riled up. And it was Kouichi who was always there with a smile when Junpei felt down and needed cheering up.

In his own way, he had helped them, for the most part, by just being there. He was the glue that held them together, that bonded them even more strongly when he was the one who hurt as recent events showed.

So if nothing else, they at least owed it to him.

The sirens neared, cars screeching to a halt at the gates as a whirl of activity and sound ensured.

'This is it,' someone murmured, but it seemed everyone was so distracted that they were unable to figure out who had unconsciously let those words slip from their mouth.

It was however, undeniably the truth, regardless of the thoughts going through their minds as a police squadron had them surrounded, a few government personnel scattered amongst them.

Guns emerged, all pointed at the boy who stood calmly at the headstone, yet to move at the new arrival.

He laughed scornfully at the display, and for a moment, the five children, now shielded by the police force, saw the old Dusk come through. _**'You would sacrifice one child for the fate of the human race, who currently is simply an obstacle preventing you all from being free of me and me from achieving my full potential? Though you will never truly be free. I am content with the freedom I have tasted and the revenge I have delivered in the fear that grips your hearts. But you humans, despite the emotion you call "compassion", you will not be content till the threat is eliminated forever, regardless of the cost.'**_

Hands twitched, but at a snapped order from an official, they refrained from firing, instead listening to the demon in a child's body as he continued.

_**'It is strange,'**_ he mused, almost contemplated. '_**That while love caused all the deaths whose memories were brought back to the surface, it was love which prevented any more from occurring.' **_Here, he stared pointedly at Kouji, who was for a moment, blank, before the realisation of what the other was saying dawned on him, and his eyes widened slightly in understanding.

He continued, this time to the adults. _**'Would you shoot me here and end my story?'**_ he asked, almost tauntingly. _**'Or will your human weaknesses prevent you from doing so? Because I highly doubt they will. What I have done may be the cause of sadness and pain for some, but you humans cover a world of light in darkness everyday and yet remain blind to your own misgivings. You humans, who would so willingly kill to prevent pain which could long escape death, who would not rest if yourquarry was alive until they had been put down. You, who would destroy humanity with your own actions without caring of the cost while at the same time being dragged down by them.'**_

Hands twitched again, and an official's face confronted in anger, so much so that he would have then and there given the order to fire had Yamaki not stopped him.

And so they still listened to what he had to say.

_**'The children at least have their innocence, and while I can feel sad for the pain they suffer, I cannot regret it. But you adults, it is your price these children now pay; after all, it was you who brought me into this world in the first place and engrafted my conscience into an innocent child while depriving him a life of freedom as you did me. It is your own corruptions that led me this far, praying on the weakness of others lower in status for profit and gain. After all, had not those less fortunate been put down so, had not the court been so willing to split families that belong together, none of this would have happened.'**_

'Shut up!' the commander roared, his face confronted in rage at the truth that ran behind the accusations, while at the same time concerned about the information leaking from the civilians.

'That's a lie,' he began. 'You have no right to-'

He was cut off.

_**'It is not a lie,' **_he said softly, and somewhat sadly, before his tone hardened into the cruel, mechanical voice he had known to speak originally, even if now it held a humane undertone which only made itself apparent to those who weren't blind enough to see it. _**'Even if you are so arrogant as to not admit your own failings. But what now? Will you kill me and end this story, or are your concerns about public knowledge and your own heart enough to prevent that?'**_

The commander, having had enough, opened his mouth to give the order despite the protests from the five behind him, only for Yamaki to step in.

'Sir,' he said respectfully. 'This boy is no longer a threat. I do not think it is necessary to-'

'Enough,' the other interrupted icily. 'I suggest you stand down Yamaki, before you are placed under arrest for interference.'

His eyes widened under the glasses. 'Perhaps he is right,' he murmured to himself, turning away. 'We are more a monster should we willingly exterminate an innocent child because we fear a threat which no longer exists under the guise of saving humanity.'

Luckily, no-one had heard, save the children, or else he would have been taken into custody on the spot. As it was, he felt his eyes had opened too late as the order was given, the protests pointedly ignored even as they grew in number as parents arrived at the scene, and even some of the officers hesitated in fulfilling their command.

It mattered little, as most did not.

The sounds of gunshots rang through the air, bullets burying themselves into the flesh of the fourteen year old. His body jerked from the impact, blood splattering the tombstones he stood amongst, and blue eyes slowly came up to meet those identical to his own, staring past all the barriers that separated them, before the pale eyelids slid over them, and the exhausted boy slumped to lie in the pool his own blood had created, free from this horrible nightmare at last.

Or so they thought. There was still the problem of the alternate consciousness grafted into his mind to be dealt with.

As well as the friction he had brought into light. A friction which was threatening to tear the government apart inside out.

* * *

_**Preview for the following chapter:**_

_The twisted body lay there, blood pooling from beneath him. No-one dared to move, save the brother whose own heart felt as though it was carrying the crushing pain of death as he held on tight, hating the blood mingling with the shameless tears, hating the stillness, the unresponsiveness, and yet for all his hatred, he could not hate the one whose conscience had warped the other's; it was, after all, only natural to want freedom, and revenge on those who cause one pain. Far worse was what mankind did amongst themselves each day._


	16. To Begin Thy Life Anew

**Author's Notes**

I'm posting this today instead of tomorrow because I've got an afterschool session which is going to last for quite awhile, so I don't know whether or not I'll be able to update. Most likely not, so instead of having you all wait till Friday night for the next chapter, especially after the cliffhanger in the last, I thought I'd update a day earlier instead. Next update should still be next Thursday though.

**Chapters remaining after this: **2

**Disclaimer:** You should all know by now what I own and what I don't. No need to regurgitate, even if my English teacher allowed me to.

Anyway, enjoy everyone.

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote:** "...Because I'm dead, it's time to start anew..." – Darkness in My Heart Lyrics

* * *

**Chapter 15 – To Begin Thy Life Anew**

The twisted body lay there, blood pooling from beneath him. No-one dared to move, save the brother whose own heart felt as though it was carrying the crushing pain of death as he held on tight, hating the blood mingling with the shameless tears, hating the stillness, the unresponsiveness, and yet for all his hatred, he could not hate the one whose conscience had warped the other's; it was, after all, only natural to want freedom, and revenge on those who cause one pain. Far worse was what mankind did amongst themselves each day.

'Kouichi,' he sobbed, for once ignoring the fact that there were others present. For he was not one to publicly display his emotions, but this time he did so, weeping in reckless abandon even as he felt the steady beat of life fading with agonising slowness, as if death itself was trying to torture them both by prolonging an inevitable process.

'Ni-san.' Nothing, save the flowing blood and the stilling beat.

'Ni-san, please!' He was begging to some godly power, casting aside his own pride, as in any other circumstance it would have been far beneath him to even consider such a thing, but the bond of brotherhood so strong that even such occurrences had been insufficient in fully detaching that bond, prevailed above all else.

All around him was a frenzy of activity, but like his brother before him, he was oblivious to all else save he who he held in his arms.

Gentle hands descended on his shoulders, followed by firmer ones beneath his fingers which gripped his brother's dying body in a vice like grip, but he responded to neither, save tightening his grip as someone else tried to pry the fingers loose.

'Let go Kouji,' a soothing voice whispered in his ear, piercing the haze. A familiar voice...Takuya...

'It's not over,' he continued, softly, gently, yet strongly so that Kouji found himself uncontrollably hanging onto his every word. 'Let the paramedics help.'

'His gone,' he choked, tightening his grip even as the hands coated in blood lost the rhythm that told them that the other was at the very least still alive.

'He's not,' the other whispered. 'His heart's still beating, they can still save him.'

Kouji raised his head, loosening his grip enough so that the paramedic beside them was able to pry the injured form lose, and with the help of another, onto a stretcher.

'You really think so?' he asked, desperation unlike any he had ever experienced before in his voice.

The other smiled briefly. 'Sure I do buddy. And I was right the last two times wasn't I?'

* * *

The head of the subdivision which had been concerned about the recent happenings jumped a foot when a stack of papers was suddenly dropped on his desk.

'What is the meaning of this?' he asked, shifting his gaze from the papers to the man who had brought them.

'My resignation,' Yamaki coldly replied, turning to leave.

'Nani?' the other gasped, half rising from his chair. 'So suddenly? And at a time like this?'

'Yes,' the other replied, not turning. 'I've seen where my priorities lie, and they're not here.' He took a deep breath, before continuing. 'He was right, you know. What he said. We do far worse to other people than what he did. We've torn apart families because of the laws we reinforce, and some we have created for power and control, and even when we know they are unjust, we do nothing to alter them even when we have the influence, and the power, to do so.'

His voice was hard with conviction, and it was rather amazing that one story had brought about so great a change in some people. So much so that it had shocked his superior into silence. 'If you would willingly order the murder of a child when he is no longer a threat to anybody, so willingly spill innocent blood, without even knowing whether or not he would survive...'

He didn't finish his sentence, instead leaving it hanging with the incapability to do so. 'Anyway, I quit. My expertise can be better served elsewhere.'

And with that, he walked out of the office for the last time, ignoring the reply his words had brought.

That case had been an eye-opener for him, and even if it had been late in its coming, he had made his choice in that he would no longer play a part in the government's quest for power.

Besides, it was better to resign then get fired for insubordination.

Looked better on the record when he searched for a new job.

* * *

Surgeons and scientists alike worked in conjunction with one another on the patient whose body was spread out on the operation table. For the surgeons, their main priority was the wounds, removing the bullets and stitching the flesh wounds closed. For the larger wounds, as two bullets had pierced the lower half of right lung to an extent where it was dysfunctional, and another had buried itself into a most difficult position, more care was needed, and they were forced, with gloves adorning their hands and masks covering their faces, to operate both quickly and efficiently to surgically remove the dysfunctional half in the hope that the other one and a half lungs could sustain him.

The scientists, while the operation was in progress, made the preliminary preparations, attaching nodes to various parts of his skull and recording measurements, all while the patient himself slept under the anaesthetics administered to him.

The most vital part was however carried out after the operation and once he had been moved to his own room. A barrier was put up, a physical one, so those wishing to visit could do so without disturbing the intricate balance of conditions in the area itself. The nodes, being highly sensitive, had been collaborated to those specific conditions, so as while the patient slept, they worked in ways those whose profession lay outside the field understood not to deactivate the artificial conscience and cause it to harmlessly self-destruct, all the while as the protocols to stimulate such actions were sent through the nodes via a computer outside the room.

Of course, it had never been done in such a circumstance, and so very rarely done in general, that the percentage success was quite low. There was far too much risk involved, but all were professionally trained, and knew well not to let such pressure affect their performance.

Only when the job was done did the pressure overtake them.

* * *

'It's done,' Lee Janyu sighed, coming into the room, followed by an assortment of doctors, scientists and his own wife and children.

The glass barrier which separated the visitors from the patient they were visiting was removed, as were most of the wires and nodes attached to him. The oxygen mask remained on, over his mouth and nose, as did the intravenous needle pumping much needed medication into his system, and another needle transfusing blood.

He looked pale, but not as pale as before, and seemed more at peace, even in his unconsciousness, than he had been in a long time. For the pain and confusion that the conflicting consciousness had brought had faded away, the tenseness vanishing in lieu of a new, or perhaps old, softness in his expression which was rare for any other, but natural for him.

'Now all that remains is for him to awaken, and we anticipate he should make a full recovery...'

The occupants in the hospital room, save the patient himself, held their breath anticipation as the said patient shifted slightly. Most were family and friends praying for the recovery of a loved one, but those others who did not fall into one of the two mentioned categories awaited the awakening so as their own heavy burden, whether grief, guilt or the likes, was eased by the heartfelt realisation that all those involved had survived without permanent harm.

The boy twitched again, before his eyelids fluttered open softly with a barely audible groan.

The held breaths were released with such an exclamation of relief that the curtains rustled due to the force exerted, as well as the dark hair that spilled on the pillow.

Kouji for one was, quite typically, quick to move, gripping his brother as tightly as the other's injuries allowed even as tears fell from his eyes.

Kouichi smiled softly, the same sweet smile that made his eyes sparkle with a new light which those closer to him had sorely missed, carefully raising a hand enough to brush the lingering tears away.

'Don't cry 'touto-chan,' he whispered, for the moment oblivious to their outside company. Then he groaned again, louder as the movement jarred his wounds, sparking a new round of exclamations and panic.

'I'm fine,' he gasped to placate his brother, closing his eyes momentarily before breathing deeply and reopening them. 'But...what happened?'

And scanning the faces that hovered above him, a slightly red tinge gracing his own at the attention, yet thirst for knowledge overshadowing his embarrassment, he added. 'Where's Okaa-san?'

* * *

_**Preview for the Next Chapter:**_

_Kouji stirred, before opening his eyes, blinking rapidly to banish the shadows from his vision. His breathing rate was slightly faster than usual, as was his heart, pounding in his chest, as the blue eyes rapidly scanned the room for any source of life save himself._

_His bed was rather messy, as it usually is when one wakes up. But his brother's was neat and made, and the said brother was no-where to be seen._


	17. Never Separate Again

**Author's Note**

After this chapter, only the epilogue to post up, which is why there is no preview at the end of this chapter.

BTW, as far as I know, it's perfectly normal for siblings to share a bed. And some time passes between the first and second segments of this chapter, but just the night between the second and third.

**Chapters remaining after this: **1

**Disclaimer:** I own the idea, the plot etc. but I don't own Digimon or any of its characters.

Anyway, enjoy everyone.

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Quote:** "There falls no shadow where There shines no sun" - Hilaire Belloc

* * *

**Chapter 16 – Never Separate Again**

'So, you're leaving?'

'Yeah.'

Takuya and Izumi watched as Kouji went through the drawers, separating the belongings into two piles, the large pile which was to be packed into suitcases or else a box, and the smaller pile which was to be left behind.

'So soon.'

'Otou-san got a promotion, and a transfer to Osaka.'

'But that's not the real reason.'

Kouji turned back to his two friends. 'No,' he sighed. 'It isn't. But...' he looked towards the other half of the room, the half that belonged to his brother, who was still recovering in the hospital. 'Ni-san...he doesn't remember anything about what happened.'

'That's good, isn't it?' Izumi asked.

'Well...' the younger twin shrugged a bit. 'Yeah...it is. But this place is too full of reminders. Not to mention the news is still blaring about it.'

He turned back to his sorting, even as Takuya spoke behind him.

'Is that really the right thing to do?' he asked. 'Despite all, it's his life, and he deserves to know.'

'I know,' the other mumbled. 'But I don't think anyone's ready. It's all too fresh.'

He finished with the drawers and moved on to their joint desks, lightly fingering the walls, while even so scrubbed, still retained the slight tinge of pink. 'The walls are still stained with blood. And even with such a journey, such a tale, there are far too many gaps. No-one knows the whole story. No-one...' his voice trailed off.

'That's true,' the brunette acknowledged, watching his best friend as the pale hand pulled away from the wall, before shifting to the stack of homework papers on the desk. 'You two had better get going before you're late to school.'

'I guess,' Takuya murmured softly. 'Keep in contact, kay?'

He smiled, though with his back to the other two, they didn't catch it. 'Of course I will. Oh, and Izumi?'

'Hai?'

He handed her something. 'Kouichi told me to give this to you.'

She looked at the research paper she held in her hand. A research assignment of Christian Funeral Services. With the space for a name on the cover sheet blank.

'Kouichi's assignment?' She looked up at him. 'I can't-'

'Sure you can,' he sighed. 'Kouichi's not going to ever get back to that school, and since the two of you always trade ideas anyway, Shinoda-sensei's not likely to realise. And you don't want to end up with an N for the subject, especially as it applies to promotion credits. And Kouichi's the one who told me to give it to you. He said that if we felt as bad as we looked, it was highly unlikely that you got it done.'

Izumi was speechless, half for the small speech the younger twin had given, half because of what the elder had managed to pick up in only a half hour of consciousness.

'We'll be leaving during the day,' Kouji continued, struggling slightly to keep his voice even. 'Otou-san's company worked out a hospital transfer. Tell Tomoki and Junpei I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye, and Ni-san says to tell you all goodbye and thank you on his behalf as well.'

Takuya smiled sadly for a moment at the touching moment, but the smile suddenly grew wider as his playful personality overtook the warranted serious one. 'Don't worry buddy,' he proclaimed, as overenthusiastic as normal. 'This won't be the last time we see each other. No sir! Even if I have to walk all the way to Osaka!'

The other two couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

The Minamoto family quickly settled into their new home in Osaka, and Kouichi was eventually released from the hospital. During his stay, Kouji had stubbornly refused to leave at night, sleeping on a chair beside the bed before the elder twin found out and forced the younger twin to share the bed.

That being said, the bedroom that had been assigned to the two had yet to be slept in, so the first night, the night Kouichi had finally been released from the hospital, was rather uncomfortable, for the younger twin more so than the elder. Kouichi, exhausted even by the simple action of climbing a flight of stairs, had collapsed on one of the beds and fallen asleep in a matter of seconds.

Kouji, taking that action as his brother having claimed that bed, slips into his blue pyjamas before sliding between the covers of the other one, the one against the window. It was probably the best arrangement; the light would have kept the elder twin up all night. Kouji though, was not bothered by it.

That night however, he parted the curtains just a tiny but, letting the moonlight seep through enough to vaguely illuminate the room, enough so that he could see the distinct form on the other bed as he lay down, facing away from the window.

But tired as he was, sleep didn't come easy.

Perhaps because he had grown accustomed to his brother's body heat beside him, feeling his brother's warm breath ticking his neck when he suddenly jolted awake in panic, hearing his steady heartbeat as he fell asleep...or perhaps he was simply afraid that seeing wasn't enough. That sleep would irrevocably shatter an illusion that he desperately grasped onto.

Despite how much he told himself that his brother was right in front of him, and there to stay.

* * *

Kouji stirred, before opening his eyes, blinking rapidly to banish the shadows from his vision. His breathing rate was slightly faster than usual, as was his heart, pounding in his chest, as the blue eyes rapidly scanned the room for any source of life save himself.

His bed was rather messy, as it usually is when one wakes up. But his brother's was neat and made, and the said brother was no-where to be seen.

Rationally thinking, it would have been presumed that Kouichi, being the early-bird he is, simply woke up earlier than his twin and went about his business as normal. But even weeks after everything had happened, he still couldn't banish the fear that something had happened again.

'Otouto-chan?'

Kouji's eyes snapped to the doorway, where the elder twin stood, wearing grey pants and a black hooded jacket over a navy shirt to keep him warm in the approaching winter, the clothes he had fallen asleep folded in a neat pile in his hands.

'What's wrong?' he asked, blue eyes filled with worry.

'Nothing.' He shook his head slightly. 'Nothing's wrong.'

Kouichi kept his gaze fixated upon the other, even when he tossed the clothes neatly into the laundry basket near the door and came into the room.

'I know you're lying,' he said, the worry still slightly evident in his voice. 'But if you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you to.'

He turned away at that, straightening up the other's bed. As such, he couldn't see his younger twin's expression, or else he would have noticed the relief and gratitude that covered it.

'Arigato Ni-san,' Kouji said.

'Don't mention it,' the other replied.

He could still feel Kouji's eyes upon him, even with his back turned. He of course knew exactly what was bothering the other, having noticed him waking several times during the nights in panic, before turning to the older twin as if he was afraid he would vanish.

He still didn't quite remember what had happened, which the entire family was relieved about. But he still noticed the changes in the household, and in himself too. But mostly in his brother.

Their stepmother was as kind and caring as always, but now she had some time in her hands to make the house, and the garden, come to life. Their father, once a workaholic, now found time (and sometimes excuses) to spend time with his family. While a family dinner had been a rare occurrence in the past, it was now considered abnormal to miss one, and since Kouichi had been in the hospital for most of them, they used to enjoy their meals in the small white room, which had steadily grown less white with flowers and other little things.

He found himself far more open and slightly more talkative, which immediately made him think their goggle-wearing friend had managed to over-influence him. While in the hospital, he, on several occasions, had found himself bored, and so had ventured around the ward and made several new friends, two of which he found attend the same school he would begin at soon, and his brother had already started at several weeks ago, much to the general astonishment of his family. Though he, as well as his brother, still kept in contact with the friends they had been forced to leave behind.

But while those changes had been for the better, it seemed as though Kouji was far more overprotective of his older brother, especially at night, all the while plagued by demons that kept him from rest. And while the over-protectiveness he could deal with if it pleased his brother, the demons he could not, and he sometimes found himself comforting the night terror victim, repeatedly reassuring the other that he was there, and not going anywhere, only for the said victim to forget his experience upon awakening.

It was like a taboo to mention the incident, so it was never mentioned. But still Kouichi knew that it had left a lasting effect on all. Some good, some bad.

He straightened up from his completed task, feeling the gaze trained on him vanish for a brief moment before returning, turning with a playful grin on his mouth and a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

After all, laughter was the cure to all ailments.

Which immediately made Kouichi think for the second time that he had let their goggle-wearing friend over-influence him.

'Hey, Kouji?'

Kouji, who had been tying his long hair into a ponytail, looked up, slightly caught off guard by the impish smirk. 'Yeah?'

'Don't you want your bandana?' he asked innocently, showcasing the strip of cloth that hung between two fingers. 'Or should I just let it fly out the window? Or maybe use it for firewood, we are running short, or-'

He was cut off my his own laughter as his brother lunged for it and he neatly dodged aside, slipping through the open doorway and sliding down the banister, seeing that far safer than actually taking the stairs.

He landed neatly at the bottom, only for his brother's weight to crash into him moments later, knocking them both through the ground even as they wrestled with each other playfully, the bandana lying forgotten beside them, until their dog, or really Kouji's dog, Hikaru, picked it up in his mouth and bounded off with it out the door Satomi held open to bring the groceries indoors.

'Hikaru!' the twins yelled, entangled together, Kouichi breathless with laughter and Kouji getting there. 'Get back here!'

They tried to stand together, rather unsuccessfully as it just resulted in the elder's elbow poking the younger's ribs, causing him to squeak and fall onto the elder twin again.

The mischievous smirk graced his face, much like it had his twin's, and that was the only warning Kouichi received before the younger twin was tickling him mercilessly.

Their laughter mixed to the extent that it was impossible to tell there were two laughing, but it had to be true, as the twin's faces were an identical shade of red, and they were both panting for breath when Kouji finally relented, lying together at the bottom of the staircase and trying to regain their breath.

Until they remembered Kouji's bandana. And the German Sheppard who had taken it.

'Hikaru!' the twins howled, only to be answered by a playful bark in the distance.

Kouji smirked at his brother. 'Feel like running?'

'No way,' the other replied, not moving as the younger twin stood. 'I'm exhausted already.'

He closed his eyes, only to be hauled to his feet. 'Wha-'

'You're not getting away with this that easily.' And with that, Kouji dragged his elder brother out the door, laughing at the protests.

Kouichi, after a moment, allowed himself to be dragged along, content with his brother's happiness.

After all, they were inseparable. If one was happy, the other was too.


	18. Epilogue

**Author's Notes**

And that wraps this story up. I just thought I'd post it today instead of tommorow seeing as I had a day off and what's supposed to be an extremely crazy day tomorrow. So...yeah.

Thanks to everybody who's stuck by while this story was in progress, as well as anyone who visits later on as well.

And a special thanks to Kaito Lune who has stuck with me since the beginning.

Totally not what I had expected when I started writing, but it works, I guess.

Short epilogue, not much in it, but I think it's a cute scene, and the prologue was pretty short as well, so...you know.

BTW, _italics_ is Kouji's POV. Normal is 3rd Person POV

That part was inspired by the ending of Tamers, where Yamaki is reflecting on the whole experience with the D-Reaper.

And to answer the question someone asked awhile back, I'm not writing a sequel for this.

**Chapters remaining after this: **0

**Disclaimer:** You should all know by now what I own and what I don't.

Anyway, enjoy the final installment of **Brother, Hear me Cry** everyone.

* * *

**Brother, Hear Me Cry**

AU They were inseparable, till the day he turned on his brother. Eventually driven mad with confusion and grief, he vanishes into the shadows...then weird things start happening...and through it all, his cries echo in his brother's ears...

Kouji M & Kouichi K

* * *

**Epilogue**

_Years have passed since then. The reign of the artificial intelligence programme, dubbed as 'Dusk' was short lived. But the memories of it were engrafted into our minds, and we still remember. To those who were indirectly involved, it soon became like an urban legend, a demon out for revenge against its makers, but for those of us who were directly involved, save Kouichi...we, till this day, remember, and will most likely remember for many years still._

_Sometimes it's so hard to remember that i'ts over; thinking that, especially when we are separate, that I'll turn around and he's gone again. But Kouichi understands, sometimes I think more than he lets on, because he's always there to comfort me, and he never asks when he knows I can't answer. Sometimes I wonder how much he knows, or if he ever remembered, but I can't ask. After all, that chapter of our life has past._

_Though I suppose we're still dealing with the scars left behind._

'Kouji!' The call came from the distant bridge. He turned, to find the four friends he and his brother left years ago waving to him. Calling out to him.

He smiled. He was sure; those scars would heal with time.

Hands slipped over his eyes, but the familiar touch simply prompted him to lean into it.

'Ohayou Ni-chan,' he murmured softly, enjoying the warmth of the other's hands in the slightly chilly autumn air, hearing soft, but increasingly louder footsteps behind them, before the hands obscuring his vision suddenly disappeared with a small squeak of surprise from the elder twin and a heavy but still familiar weight crashed into his back moments later.

'Guys! Let me breathe!'

And then the sound was filled by the six' laughter.


End file.
